Leaving the comfy boundaries of your high school can be a scary time, especially when you are making the transition to the University.
With a large campus and many undergraduates, a trek to Rugby Road from first-year dorms can seem like a potential breeding ground for sexual assault disaster -- especially in light of the serial rapist scare. The University and the Charlottesville community recognize the risk for sexual assault and domestic violence for both women and men on Grounds, and have created a number of programs for University students and City residents.
A convenient place to go for help is the Elson Student Health Center, located behind New Cabell and on the corner of Jefferson Park Avenue. The center offers a variety of services such as an OBGYN department for women and General Medicine for men. Also offered are emergency contraception, sexually transmitted infection testing, one-on-one patient education sessions, tobacco quit kits, free condoms and counseling.
Health Educator Tara Schuster said there are some drawbacks to the services Student Health offers.
"Students are only allowed up to eight visits with a counselor," Schuster said. "We do not offer any long term care, and in the case that a student needs it, we refer them to someone in the community."
The Women's Center includes both a sexual assault education office and a counseling department. It is located across from the White Spot restaurant on the corner of 14th and Main Streets. Students can learn more about sexual assault and domestic violence and how to better support a friend or partner who has been abused.
Center representative Claire Kaplan encouraged both male and female students to come by and even volunteer to assist with Center programs.
"There are a lot of opportunities for students to get involved," Kaplan said.
The Women's Center offers pamphlets and handbooks for survivors of violence and people in abusive relationships.
The Sexual Assault Resource Agency is another sexual assault support organization that offers an emergency helpline and free group and individual confidential counseling. The agency's chief goal is to provide emotional support for victims of sexual assault and their friends and families.
SARA hotline intern Pam Morgan said the hotline procedure can provide speedy assistance to a distressed student.
"When students call the hotline, we direct them to go to the U.Va. emergency room where they are set up to deal with the immediate concerns," Morgan said. "That's how they get into the system and [the student] can even be placed in a secret shelter escorted by police if necessary for their safety."
For those concerned about domestic violence, SARA's sister agency, the Shelter for Help and Emergency, offers anonymous and confidential support for men, women and children who have been affected by domestic or dating violence. Like SARA, their helpline also is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Shelter hotline operator Anne Trainor emphasized safety is the main goal for their survivors.
"We help them explore their options with a big focus on safety planning," said Trainor, who added the Shelter seeks to tailor aid to the victim's comfort level.
Helpline volunteer opportunities are available at both SARA and the Shelter.
Another slightly more controversial resource available to students is Planned Parenthood. Located off of Route 29 on Hydraulic Rd, their health center focuses on family planning, which includes emergency contraception and birth control.
Birth control ranges in price from $12 to $21 dollars, according to an organization administrator.
Planned Parenthood also offers pap smears, STI testing and first trimester surgical abortion services once a week. The group does not require insurance and offers self-pay and student rates.
For men who want to become more involved in educating fellow University community members about sexual violence, One-in-Four is a student-run, all male sexual assault peer education group on Grounds.
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