Taylor Foxx
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Last month, Winthrop University students came together to create a Planned Parenthood club as a part of a national effort to organize on college campuses across the country.

The Planned Parenthood Generation Action includes more than 350 groups that create events on their campuses and in their communities to help educate and promote reproductive health and rights, according to the group’s website.

The club is sponsored by Planned Parenthood and will be a collaboration between the group’s representatives and Winthrop students.

Ann Carroll, president of the new club, says the group plans to be active on and off campus to promote reproductive rights.

“The women’s marches, as well as volunteering at the actual Planned Parenthood, because there is one in Columbia and one in Charlotte,” she said.

“We definitely want to try and volunteer at those, as well as just communicating with the community, letting them know what Planned Parenthood is, as well as what they are letting Winthrop know because a lot of people have misconceptions.”

She said they are focusing on getting students to join the organization this semester and then next semester students will begin to see some events.

Currently on campus, the office of Health and Counseling Services offers many different reproductive health services for students, including counseling, wellness examinations and screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and infections.

Mary Barreto, assistant director of health services, said students are always welcome to come to the Crawford Building with questions or concerns regarding reproductive health.

“We have tons of brochures that are available out in the hallways and they can just look for them. Down in the suite downstairs they have condoms and other things that students can get. It’s kind of their sexual health bookstore that you can go in and get things for free,” said Barreto.

Students interested in joining the Planned Parenthood club can contact Ann Carroll at carrola7@winthrop.edu.