Halifax students have launched a petition for YUSU to give them free condoms

Halifax students have launched a petition to try and get YUSU to give them free condoms.

The petition follows YUSU refusing to provide Halifax College with a condom corner, despite providing one on Heslington West in James College and another on Heslington East in Langwith.

A condom corner provides free contraception to students who cannot, or will not, pay for contraception themselves ensuring that students have safe sex.

The Halifax Student College Association (HSCA) believes that as Halifax College belongs to neither of the two campuses, they should have a condom corner in their reception building.

They argue that "the distance of Halifax from main campus leads to having poor access to sexual health supplies, putting our students at risk. On top of that, Halifax is the biggest college, and is twice the size of Wentworth for example, and so as a result we really need access to those supplies."

The HCSA also cite last year's sexposé survey as further justification for why Halifax college requires a condom corner, as the survey showed that Halifax is the college which has the most sex with 27.85 per cent of students admitting to having sex in Halifax College accommodation. They point to this as evidence for the necessity of a condom corner: "[Do we] need we more reasons to have our own condom corner?"

The HCSA have criticised the College's treatment at the hands of YUSU, saying: "We do not ask for much, yet YUSU refuse to provide us with some sexual health supplies due to limited supply.

"This is completely unfair as Halifax is penalised due to our distance from the main campus. It is very easy for Vanbrugh to go the condom corner in James college to get free sexual health supplies, but not for us.

"YUSU needs to stop ignoring what the students in Halifax want and need. This is a service that is in demand in our college – as can be proven by the 111 signatures on the petition to bring a condom corner to Halifax.

"YUSU treating Halifax poorly is leading to us being an unhealthier college. We don't ask for much, so why not provide it?"

The petition currently has 111 signatures and you can sign it here.

Louise Parsons, a representative from YUSU Advice and Support told the HCSA: "As you are aware, we are restricted in the amount of sexual health supplies that we are able to provide.

"We receive our supplies from YorSexual Health and our agreement with them only allows for the provision of a limited supply of condoms, dental dams, lubricants and chlamydia tests.

"Ideally, each college would have their own condom corner but unfortunately, we are not currently in a position to be able to provide this."

While it may come as a shock to many that Halifax students get the most on campus, many will agree that the last thing the population of "York's third campus" needs is even more people.