Wofford’s Wellness Center expands contraceptive and health offerings to students

Wofford students may have noticed that the Wellness Center is now providing free condoms located in the laundry rooms of each dorm. 

The recent mission of the Wellness Center to make contraception affordable and accessible puts students’ health and wellness first. However, female students may not know that the Wellness Center provides many methods of birth control as well as STI screenings and pelvic exams at lowto zero-cost. 

According to Tammy Gilliam, DNP, Wofford’s nurse practitioner, the Wellness Center can prescribe oral contraceptives, patches and the NuvaRing. It also can prescribe and administer the Depo-Provera shot in-house. 

Gilliam recommends that students who want to learn more about birth control methods like the IUD and the Nexplanon implant go to a women’s health clinic, where these methods can be prescribed and placed.

The Wellness Center also provides STI screening in-house, but these tests are billed through insurance and sent to an outside lab for interpretation. 

Pap smears are performed in-house by Wellness Center staff for $30 when billed through insurance. The Wellness Center also sends these tests to an outside lab. According to Gilliam, “It is recommended that all females starting at age 21 have a pap smear with HPV screening.”

Not only can a regular pelvic exam detect STIs, but it can detect abnormalities of the female reproductive system like infections, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and tumors. 

The convenience of getting birth control through the school’s Wellness Center is attractive to many students. 

One student said, “In the past, I have only been able to get a one-month supply for around $14. Now, I can get a three-month supply for $34 which is really helpful as a college student. I do not have the time in my schedule to pick up my prescription once a month.”

Another student likes getting birth control through the Wellness Center because of the thorough and personal care Gilliam provides. 

She said, “Miss Tammy was really helpful in getting what I wanted and helped with how much I wanted in dosage. We went through three different types of birth control until I was set on the one that I liked. She made me feel very comfortable with talking about birth control and how it made me feel.”

It is important to note that birth control is not always used strictly for contraceptive purposes; many women take some form of birth control for numerous health reasons, menstrual cycle regulation and even to manage acne. 

Affordable contraception and wellness do not start or end with free condoms. Women especially should know the resources and options available to them to stay safe and healthy.