National survey from Hey Jane and Advocates for Youth finds majority of young people face barriers to on-campus reproductive health care

Washington, D.C. (February 21, 2024) — A new report released today from national nonprofit  Advocates for Youth and reproductive and sexual health virtual clinic Hey Jane indicates that the majority of young people around the country face challenges when accessing reproductive health care on campus, often turning to telehealth and off-campus options due to concerns including privacy, comfort, stigma and reliability. 

The report, resulting from a national Campus Sexual and Reproductive Health Access Survey, arrives as young people across the country organize for more comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care at colleges and universities, including access to medication abortion, emergency contraception and affordable birth control.

Of the 500 people aged 18-24 from 11 states surveyed, over 75% of respondents expressed that it was “very important” or “important” to them to have access to on-campus abortion and other reproductive and sexual health care. Yet, a majority (55%) felt uncomfortable seeking reproductive health care on campus. 

Students who chose to seek reproductive health care off-campus listed a range of barriers to on campus health care including fear and social stigma, concerns related to privacy and confidentiality, convenience, and concerns related to trust and perceived quality of care. Survey findings revealed low-income students are significantly more likely to seek prescription birth control and abortion services off campus, citing social stigma, privacy, and affordability as major reasons preventing them from seeking care at school.

“This survey reflects the massive opportunity that universities have to remove barriers to reproductive and sexual health care services for their students,” said Kiki Freedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Hey Jane. “That’s why it’s more important than ever for universities to step up to provide these services without the barriers and stigma students commonly report today. Whether through their on-campus health centers or partnering with telemedicine platforms, like Hey Jane, universities can offer students the safe, affordable, supportive, and discreet care they deserve from the comfort of their dorm room.”

“Young people at colleges and universities deserve unfettered access to the reproductive and sexual health services they need, whether on campus through a university health center or through a telemedicine or off-campus provider,” said Deb Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth. “The findings of our national survey indicate that many schools have yet to meet students’ needs. Administrators must take action to increase access and trust on their campus.”

For young people — especially low-income, POC, trans, queer, and other marginalized youth — accessing reproductive and sexual health services can be unnecessarily difficult but crucially important to preventing unplanned pregnancies and protecting bodily autonomy. 

The survey results released today also include personal anecdotes from young people detailing the challenges they face accessing care including birth control and abortions on campus.

“So many students agree that expanding reproductive health resources would benefit their student life greatly,” said Molly, a student at a public university in Texas. “I am personally working on my campus to pass a petition to expand these reproductive resources and know that this experience has been challenging yet incredibly rewarding. The fight is not over, but I hope to make some positive changes soon.”

Advocates for Youth and Hey Jane experts and youth activists are available for interviews to discuss the survey’s findings.

The complete survey results and report can be found here.

 

 

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-25 in the U.S. and around the globe. 

We are Hey Jane, a virtual reproductive and sexual health clinic that always puts patients first. From day one, we’ve been committed to providing safe, discreet medication abortion treatment (no in-person clinic visit necessary)—and have helped more than 30,000 people get the care they need. Today, we offer a range of reproductive and sexual health care services from the comfort and convenience of your phone. Our in-house clinical care team, composed of board-certified doctors, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and patient care advocates, is just a text message away. We’re committed to helping you get the care you know you need. Because we believe the best person to make decisions about your body is you.