A Cherwell study into the variety of sex-related items that are freely available from college welfare budgets has produced some startling results, and provoked shock among some students.
The study found that in addition to the expected appearance of Durex condoms and pregnancy tests, many colleges also provide items such as flavoured and dotted pleasure enhancing condoms, as well as dental dams and lubricant.
Worcester and New College are among the few colleges which make dotted condoms freely available to their undergraduate students. Worcester also supply ribbed condoms.
Aidan Hempson-Jones, male Welfare Rep for New College, confirmed that “All our dotted and flavoured condoms are provided for free by OUSU.”
He defended the JCR’s decision to supply pleasure stimulating condoms, saying, “Anything that promotes safe sex is obviously good. Having dotted and ribbed condoms makes it more likely that people will come and get condoms from us, and therefore more likely that they are having safe sex, so that is a good thing.
“People tend to go for Durex over the flavoured or dotted OUSU Pasante ones anyway, as they trust the brand more.”
Colleges which provide flavoured condoms include New College, Pembroke, St Anne’s, Corpus Christi and St Hugh’s. At least 15 colleges provide lubricant and at least 13 provide dental dams.
Flavoured condoms are provided to Colleges for free from OUSU.
Fred MacMillan, Male Welfare Rep of Pembroke, said “I don’t think flavoured condoms are necessarily a bad thing. Ironically, regular condoms are actually more popular – we over bought on flavoured condoms, actually.
“It is good to give people the option of flavoured condoms. By welfare providing them, people who would go out and buy them anyway, so we are helping students.”
However, the distribution of these pleasure enhancing has met with concern from some students.
Members of the Newman Society, Oxford University’s Catholic Society, have expressed concern that JCR and University welfare budgets are being spent on such “recreational” items as ribbed condoms.
Emeric Jean Montford, a past president of the Newman Society, said, “It is only right and proper that colleges should have officers who ensure that the spread of STIs is prevented by using the appropriate contraception devices.
“Beyond that, I do not think that welfare is for recreational purposes. I would be quite unhappy to learn that JCR or University money is being used to promote items such as flavoured condoms and lubricant,” Montford continued.
“The role of OUSU is to promote the welfare of students, not to promote sex. OUSU is supposed to be neutral and should not promote one lifestyle as preferable to another.”
Tom Perry, OUSU VP for Welfare, defended their supply of pleasure enhancing sex items, saying that the responsibility lies with JCRs.
“It is up to Common Rooms to decide what they should spend their money on, and this would usually be decided in the Common Room Meetings.”
“However the various forms of Pasante condoms OUSU provides, including the flavoured and ribbed condoms, are free and lubricant is an essential part of safe sex for many Oxford students.”
Only a handful of colleges provide emergency contraception; among these are St John’s and St Edmund Hall which reimburse students for the morning after pill.
Yaqoob Bangosh, a member of Oxford’s Catholic community, warned that “there has to be a clear line drawn where contraception becomes abortion.”
Hubert MacGreevey, current Social Secretary of Newman Society, sees OUSU’s distribution of flavoured condoms as “immature and silly.”
He said, “OUSU do a lot of good things for student welfare and I support them in this. Frankly, giving out flavoured condoms does not surprise me, as OUSU are not exactly the most socially conservative body.
“I fundamentally disagree with their social liberal policies, and flavoured condoms are one manifestation of that.
“And as for dotted condoms, OUSU probably think they are being very kind to the students saying ‘Oh, you enjoy yourself having sex.’ I do care that sex is being abused, and turned into a commodity.”
Some welfare reps told Cherwell of the problems relating to distribution of sex-related items they have been experiencing.
The Male Welfare Rep of Corpus Christi explained how the College now provides Durex condoms, following complaints from JCR members about the quality of the free OUSU Condoms, in particular that they tended to slip off during sex.
Tom Perry, OUSU VP for Welfare and Equal Opportunities, distanced OUSU such problems, and assured students that “All of OUSU’s Welfare supplies are bought from reputable companies or, in the case of the Pasante condoms, provided to us by the NHS.”
Fred MacMillan, Welfare Rep from Pembroke, told Cherwell that they received complaints from the SCR about the placement of a condom in this year’s Freshers Packs.
He said, “There was a problem in Freshers Week when we were told by the Home Bursar that it was a bad idea to put condoms in the Freshers Pack. We were told that it was insensitive to put a condom in every pack, so we should not do this in future.”
MacGreevey commented, “Putting a condom in Freshers packs is shocking and unnecessary. It is like saying that part of the Freshers Week experience is getting laid.
“I think its regrettable that intelligent people, welcoming young people who are also supposed to be intelligent, send the message that part of the enjoyment of this week is to have loads of sex. I do think that inappropriate and insensitive.”
