The program offers the workshop “Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention” on Fridays.
Jackie Muralles
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Sex education can be an uncomfortable subject, but one program at this college is tackling it head on.
The Bae-B-Safe program is a resource on campus for sexual and reproductive health, said Corrie Rodriguez, health educator for Bae-B-Safe and Competitive Personal Responsibility Education Program, in an interview March 21.
The program holds two educational workshops for young adults 14-19 years old.
Women who are 20 years old can participate if they are pregnant or parenting, Rodriguez said.
“Seventeen Days” is an interactive video-based educational workshop offered for those who identify as female, Rodriguez said.
She said the video educates viewers on contraception, condom negotiation, anatomy, gynecology visits and abstinence through practice scenarios.
“Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention” is another workshop offered at Bae-B-Safe.
This workshop is three to four hours long for those who identify as male, Rodriguez said.
She said the workshop is focused on HIV education, anatomy, condom demonstration, contraceptive methods and healthy relationships.
Participants in both workshops receive free snacks, Bae-B-Safe water bottle, T-shirt and a gift card, Rodriguez said.
For the “Seventeen Days” workshop, the gift card is $15, and “Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention” the gift card is $40.
Rodriguez said the “Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention” workshop is more time-intensive, so participants get a gift card of higher value and free lunch.
The length of the workshops also influences how each one gets scheduled.
“Seventeen Days” is scheduled whenever students are available because most of the workshop is web-based and shorter, Rodriguez said.
“Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention” is scheduled from noon-4 p.m. Fridays because it does take more time to complete, Rodriguez said.
She said the program usually sees between 222-320 students for both workshops per year.
Bae-B-Safe is funded through a grant by Healthy Futures of Texas, a non-profit corporation aimed at preventing teen and other unplanned pregnancies.
While participation in each workshop is limited to people 14-19 years old, Rodriguez said it is important for college campuses to participate to help keep students in college.
“For those who are enrolled in community colleges and do find themselves to be experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, 63 percent of those students will drop out,” Rodriguez said.
She encourages students to walk in to the office even if they cannot participate in a workshop.
If people have questions about sexual, reproductive and relationship health, they are welcome, Rodriguez said.
The program also has a list of off-campus resources for testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Other resources include facilities that have contraception for women and health services at little to no cost
The Bae-B-Safe office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday in Room 207 of the student advocacy center.
Students can go to the Bae-B-Safe office to sign up for any of the educational workshops, get free educational pamphlets, condoms, dental dams and lubricants.
For more information, contact Bae-B-Safe by phone at 210-486-1111, on Instagram @hftx_baebsafe or email Rodriguez at crodriguez@hf-tx.org.