Safer Sex Materials and Menstrual Products
Columbia Health provides free safer sex materials in various locations across the Morningside Campus. If you’re interested in obtaining these materials, check the map below for locations, hours, and directions to safer sex supplies.
Safer Sex Materials and Menstrual Products
Columbia Health provides free safer sex materials (internal and external condoms and lubricant). There are multiple locations across the Morningside campus where these supplies are available to students. Check the map for locations, hours, and directions to safer sex supplies.
Columbia Health also provides free menstrual supplies (pads and tampons). These are available in Alice! Health Promotion (John Jay Hall, 3rd floor).
Who is eligible?
Services are available to all students on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses. This includes those at Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, and Jewish Theological Seminary.
How do I find safer sex materials on campus?
You can find the following safer sex materials throughout campus:
- Condoms and lube
- External (male) condoms
- Various latex brands, including thin, sensitive, ribbed, and others based on supply
- Non-latex (polyurethane)
- Snug fit
- XL fit
- External (male) condoms
- Internal (female) condoms
- Lubricant (water based)
- Menstrual products available:
- Pads
- Tampons
- Paper bags for discreet collection
These supplies can be found at these Columbia Health locations around campus:
- Alice! Health Promotion (John Jay Hall, 3rd floor)
- The community drawers outside the John Jay 300 waiting room and located in the women’s and gender-neutral restrooms.
- Sexual Violence Response (Lerner Hall 700)
Note: Generally, these offices are open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Check the Locations & Hours page to see when each office is open.
How much will it cost?
You will pay no additional cost for these materials.
Where can I learn more about these topics?
If you want to learn more about sex, pleasure, birth control options, STI prevention and testing (including PrEP), pregnancy options, or identity, you can attend Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH) drop-ins or schedule an SRH appointment by calling 212-854-5453 or emailing [email protected].
You can also learn more about them by reading the related Go Ask Alice! fact sheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking for emergency contraception you can:
- Obtain Plan B or Ella directly at Medical Services by calling 212-854-7426.
- Purchase emergency contraception at vending machines found in the lobby of two undergraduate residence halls: John Jay Hall and Schapiro Hall.
- Purchase emergency contraception at a local pharmacy without a prescription (over-the-counter).
If you’re getting the products from a Columbia Health location, you can let us know by calling us at 212-854-5453 or emailing us at [email protected]. If you are looking for these products at another location on campus, you will need to contact those organizations. Columbia Health doesn’t provide or coordinate safer sex materials for departments outside of Columbia Health.
Yes. Latex free condoms can be found at the John Jay 3rd floor location by Alice! Health Promotion. Note that we cannot guarantee availability of all products, particularly towards the end of the semester.
We order condoms through the NYC Health Department, so supply varies based on the options provided. We do our best to accommodate a variety of preferences and needs.
For menstrual products, we order a standard assortment of tampons, pads, and liners. If there’s additional products you’re interested in, let us know! We regularly compile feedback to improve offerings and selections.
Condoms are available at a variety of locations around campus, including pharmacies, grocery stores, and bodegas (corner stores). If you’re concerned about privacy, consider going to a location with self-checkout or automated check-out where you don’t need to interact with a clerk or a cashier.
For more information on where to purchase condoms, or for concerns about affording safe sex and menstrual products, please attend our Sexual & Reproductive Health drop-in hours.