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Climate change disproportionately harms ‘gender diverse people,’ center states
The University of Arizona partnered with the Center for Biological Diversity to distribute free “reproductive health emergency kits” that included condoms, birth control, emergency contraception, lubricant, and menstrual products on Friday.
The school’s Women & Gender Student Space and College of Public Health Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate Change and Health joined the conservation organization for the on-campus giveaway from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Flash floods and wildfires can make it impossible to access family planning and period supplies, but most people leave these items out of their emergency preparedness kits,” Center campaigner Kelley Dennings said, according to a news release.
“The kits help make sure people won’t have to scramble to care for their sexual health during climate-fueled severe weather emergencies,” she said.
The center’s news release also states that severe weather can “limit access to abortions, birth control and menstrual hygiene products.”
These disruptions lead to unintended pregnancies, it stated.
Further the Center for Biological Diversity stated that climate change disproportionately harms women and “gender diverse people” and the reproductive health emergency kits aim to “fill this gap.”
“Their voices are often left out of climate and emergency preparedness plans, even as climate-fueled severe weather events become more frequent because of human-caused climate change,” the release states.
UA isn’t the only school in the state to hand its students free condoms.
Northern Arizona University’s Health Promotion Office hosts a “Condom Club” that gives students free access to “internal condoms, external condoms, latex- free condoms, XXL condoms, dental dams, and lube,” according to the school’s website.
Students are required to watch a short video and take a quiz to join the club and gain access to free resources.
Last year, Arizona State University hosted a “Queer Visual Resource Center” on campus throughout the summer, featuring sexually explicit artwork and promoting transgenderism, The College Fix previously reported.
One piece of art on display showed two queer, fully nude figures engaged in a sexual act. The frame was wrapped in unrolled condoms and below it was a bowl filled with free condoms for students to take.
Like UA, universities are also starting various initiatives to combat climate change.
College dining halls across the country are increasingly offering meatless menus with administrators and researchers pointing to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions as a key reason.
Meanwhile, Duke University plans to incorporate climate change across the entire school, according to its latest strategy report.
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