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Especially for Columbians
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Free condoms — and other health care at Columbia?
Originally Published: January 12, 1996
~ Last Updated / Reviewed on: April 11, 2008
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Alice, My wife and I are newcomers to Columbia. We wonder where to get some medicines and condoms to prevent pregnancy. Are they free? —Hot time in the Ivies
Dear Hot time in the Ivies, Welcome to Columbia! To begin, yes, free condoms are available on campus in various locations, such as at Alice! and in Primary Care Medical Services. Many Resident Advisors (RAs) also stock their floors with safer sex materials. In addition to free condoms, Columbia offers a wide range of health programs to students. Health Services at Columbia provides extensive on-campus services, supported by the Health Service Fee that all full-time students are required to pay. By paying this fee (each semester), students are able to access most campus-based health services and programs at no additional charge (the exception being for travel medicine appointments and some vaccinations). Columbia also requires all full-time students to carry adequate health insurance to cover any off-campus services (emergencies, prescriptions, visits to specialist providers, surgery, etc). The Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan is designed specially for students living in Manhattan to provide local resources for health care and to help cover the cost of off-campus services. Columbia students may make appointments to speak with health care providers at Health Services about birth control and any other health needs. In the Primary Care office, your partner can review the many contraceptive options available and choose the one(s) that best match your goals, medical history, budget, and style. Prescription contraception, such as the birth control pill, is not dispensed on campus. However, Columbia students may receive a prescription from Primary Care and fill it at any number of local pharmacies. To see a provider in Primary Care, call x4-2284 or log in to Open Communicator to make an appointment. You may also visit the Health Services at Columbia website to see information about services and programs available on campus, details on the student insurance plan, staff bios for primary care and counseling providers, and much more. In addition, look for additional information about contraception and safer sex in Alice's Sexual Health archive, and in pamphlets around campus.
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