Planned Parenthood Generation Action is reopening its University of Memphis chapter to promote sexual education on campus and offer information and resources for students.
Generation Action, a national student-run group associated with Planned Parenthood, organizes events on campuses and in their communities to raise sexual health education awareness.
“This program will lift up the voices of young activists around reproductive rights issues.”
The new U of M chapter will hold their first meeting at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the University Center Ballroom third floor. They will hand out free condoms and other forms of contraceptives, as well as offer information on STDs.
They will also ask people to sign up to volunteer in the U of M Health Center and invite students to come to Planned Parenthood events, said Ellen Bulington, president and founder of the U of M chapter.
“We are looking for anyone that is willing to work to fight for his or her sexual healthcare,” Bulington, a U of M student, said. “We want people who care about their sexual rights and need access to it.”
The organization will assess issues like comprehensive sexual health, anti-reproductive health legislation, healthcare access and other controversial issues, said Leah Ford, volunteer coordinator for Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region.
“Generation Action is part of a national scale program through Planned Parenthood,” Ford said. “This program will lift up the voices of young activists around reproductive rights issues.”
The organization wants to promote reproductive healthcare rights by educating millennials about sexual health in the hopes that it creates lasting changes, Ford said.
“With the support of Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis, we plan to bring sexual health courses to campus,” Bulington said. “These will be offered to anyone looking to promote safe sex at our university.”
Bulington went to a high school with an abstinence only program. This made her want to educate other people on sexual health, she said.
“I knew that education was the best direction to go towards,” Bulington said. “Sexuality is a natural part of life and everyone deserves to ask questions without being shamed for their curiosity.”
Generation Action will also help host a free “Sexpert” peer education training on campus, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This event will consist of people learning about how to use contraceptives, understanding safe sex and how to advocate for it, Ford said.
“Sexperts” is a sexual health peer education program for college students and sexperts are expected to implement programs and events on their campus and in the community after training, Ford said.
“The training is fun,” Ford said. “[It’s] comprehensive training and equips young adults to be leaders among their peers and friends in the sexual health education,” Ford said. “Planned Parenthood education staffs continue to provide resources and support to participants after the training.”
Generation Action is now an available student organization and is registered on Tiger Zone, where students can now sign up, through the website.
“I think it would benefit students because sexual exploration does happen during college,” Bulington said. “And that isn’t a bad thing, as long as people are being safe about it.”
