Three years after the passage of a residence hall contraceptive initiative, students and Sexual Health Advocate Peer Education officials disagree about the effectiveness of the program.

SHAPE’s Sexual Health and Safety Products Initiative was passed in December 2008 to give students access to condoms and other safe sex items inside the residence halls. SHAPE installed dispensers with male and female condoms, as well as oral dams, in six different residence halls.

The dispensers are in place at Center, Hatch, Hudson, Lathrop, Mark Twain and Wolpers halls.

According to a letter announcing the initiative, the locations were chosen “based on their geographic location in order to maximize student access across campus.”

“Additional locations will be considered in the future based on student need, funding, as well as (the) success of the pilot program,” the letter stated.

Some students complain the machines are always empty.

“They’re never stocked,” sophomore Dan Basceanu said. “If they had them more often, that would be cool.”

Only the Hatch Hall and Mark Twain Hall locations had oral dams or female condoms as of Monday. Dispensers in Hatch, Hudson, Mark Twain and Wolpers halls were out of male condoms.

“You’d think they’d have male ones,” freshman Kumiwa Gyasi said.

According to Planned Parenthood, the male condom is the second most commonly used contraceptive for teenage women, after the pill.

SHAPE Outreach Coordinator Genevieve Labe said empty machines are a good sign.

“They’re out all the time because people are using them,” she said.

Still, many students are unaware that contraceptives are available inside the residence halls.

“I didn’t know it was there,” Gyasi said of the Hatch Hall dispenser, which was about 15 feet away from where she was sitting. “I just figured I’d have to walk to the market.”

Sophomore Mike Hughes was also unaware of the residence hall contraceptive dispensers.

“I used to hear they had free condoms at the Student Health Center, but I didn’t know they had them here,” Hughes said while studying inside Wolpers Hall.

Student Health Center Director Susan Even said SHAPE is currently looking at ways to improve the initiative.

“We’re always interested in ways to help students take care of themselves,” she said. c