By Marline Esquivel, March 5, 2024
For Women’s Month in March, the Womxn’s Resource Center at Cal Poly Pomona hosted events that foster what its mission embodies. Thursday, Feb. 15, the WRC hosted a Taboo Topic: Womxn’s Health Workshop in collaboration with The Bronco Wellness Center.
The three main topics covered at the event were birth control options, menstruation and myths about women’s body health. Guided visual demonstrations and presentations on each method of contraception were provided for students who are visual learners.
The WRC’s mission is to promote gender equality, self-awareness and the importance of knowing and understanding women’s issues that might impact the community.
To keep the event fun and light after each main topic, Athena Flores the WRC event coordinator and communication multimedia journalism student, added trivia about “Myths about womxn’s body health.” Questions such as “How much blood does a woman lose while they are on their period?” Or “Does using the IUDs cause women to lose hair and go bald?”
“I feel the WRC needed to host the event,” said Madeline Gonzalez, landscape architecture student and social justice leader at the WRC. “Sex education is very important to talk and know about, regardless of age and gender.”
The space gave a calm and judgement-free environment that welcomed students to share their contraception knowledge and recount their first-period experiences. Attendees opened up as the event continued.
“The event coincided with Sexual Health Week, which was on campus as well,” said Gonzalez. “As a women’s center that focuses largely on women’s issues, as well as encouraging wellness, we are making things such as free menstrual products accessible.”
According to statista.com, the three top birth control methods used by U.S. college students are: Male condoms with 50.7%, birth control pills at 41.3% and extended cycle withdrawals at 20.6%. Condoms are a “barrier” method of contraception, the thin latex, when used correctly, protects against STIs and prevents pregnancy. Condoms are used during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
The average cost of condoms is $20 per pack of 12, and for a college student that amount can be expensive. CPP’s WRC and the Student Health Center offer free condoms and lubricants to all students in need. If students need to obtain more products, the Student Health Center will provide more as needed.
Past events such as the WRC Welcome event and the WRC Womxn’s Group with Denise Urzua, licensed marriage and family therapist at the Counseling & Psychological Services, had success in attendance and participation due to its growing Instagram followers and newsletters.
The demonstration stressed the importance of speaking to a health provider for the best contraception tailored to individual students’ needs. For students that do not have a health provider, the Student Health Center provides on-campus guidance. Walk-ins or appointments are available for all students to discuss in length.
“Our department name is Student Health and Wellness Services,” said Kenya Quintel Luse, senior coordinator for health promotion. “Within that department, there are two different areas. One is Student Health, which is more on the medical side that has providers and our clinicians. The other portion is the Bronco Wellness Center.We are a team of health educators, and we have some student assistants who are pure health educators. We provide a lot of education on different health and wellness topics.”
All attendees received a swag bag/menstruation care package. Items such as an electric heating pad, pads, tampons, menstruation cups and lavender tea bags highlighted the overall theme of the event.
After the Taboo Topics event, Belem Acuna CPP gender, ethnic and multicultural student, took the advice of Luse and went to the Bronco Wellness Center to take advantage of her student benefits.
“I think it’s important to go to the WRC, I go there a lot,” said Acuna. “I work there. I am a social justice leader there.But even before I worked there, I would use the space just because I felt more welcomed. It was always calm and a great place to study.”
The WRC is open from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Building 95-201.
“Taboo Topic Women’s Health Workshop served its purpose of empowering women by providing a platform that fosters women’s voice and body needs,” said Gonzalez.
To learn more about the WRC and future events, visit it’s website or Instagram @cppwrc.
Feature image courtesy of Marline Esquivel.