By Luna Pham
Three things one
cannot get from stores at the National University of
Singapore? Tobacco, alcohol and, now, contraceptives.
Condoms were
pulled off the shelves at Guardian’s branch at NUS on Monday,
sparking raging online discussion over the right of students to
have access to contraceptives on campus.
“I got the notice
last Monday before work to remove the condoms from the shelves and
tape the 'Family Planning' sign,” said 30-year old Janice, a retail
executive at the Guardian store, one of four retail outlets on NUS
grounds and the only one that had been selling condoms.
There was no
reason given for the removal, which came from “higher-ups in the
school”, added Janice.
But there is no
word whether the condoms will be put back on the shelves, which
would make it more difficult for students to obtain
contraceptives.
Some students are
unhappy about the removal of the condoms from the Gurardian store,
which came a day after a post on “NUS confessions” Facebook page
pointed out that the store was the only place on campus selling
contraceptives.
Also, a photo of the store’s “Family Planning” sign covered up with
paper has received almost a hundred shares on Facebook.
23-year-old NUS
student Koon Hui Goh is among those who are against the removal. “I
think this omission of contraceptives is an intended act by the
school body to say that students can't and don't have sex within
the school compound because the rules say so,” said the student
from Faculty of Arts and Social Science. “I think that in itself is
infringing our rights, somewhat, as humans in our private
affairs.”
Others seem to
support the removal. “We should respect the traditional values and
not [be] trivializing sexual intercourse in school through the
sales of contraceptives in a school compound,” said a 22-year-old
female from NUS school of business.
Yahoo!
Singapore checked the other convenience stores at NUS — a
7-Eleven in Yusof Ishak house, and a Cheers and Fairprice express
in U-town — and staff there all said they have not sold any
contraceptives since the stores opened on campus upon request from
"NUS management".
When asked if the
stores carried any other type of contraceptives beside condoms,
such as birth control pills or pregnancy tests, a shop sales
assistant at the 7-Eleven store replied, “No, nothing at all.”
Kesavan A/L Vijaya
Kumar, 26, added that other 7-Eleven stores elsewhere do carry
them, even those in other campuses.
This is confirmed
by racks of condoms and pregnancy tests at 7-Eleven in Nanyang
Technological University’s Hall 2.
"Contraceptives
are freely available in stores around the island," an NTU
spokesperson said. "At NTU, we believe in treating our students as
responsible young adults and we trust they will reciprocate by
safeguarding that faith."
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Probably this is so to encourage contribution to
birth of babies ........