Passed: March 2023 (13th)

What do you want? / Why do you want it? 

I would like the union to provide free and easily accessible STI testing kits to students. From personal experience it can be quite difficult to get STI tests as they do not seem to be as freely accessible as I thought they would be. This is a problem because it could discourage people from getting tested and practicing safe habits, meaning that people could be putting themselves and others in danger without knowing it. 

Having the union provide some would mean that there is an easily accessible and known place for students to go and, hopefully, easily pick up tests. I hope that having easy access to the tests will encourage more people to use them and be safer. This policy would also link to other union projects, e.g., free menstrual products and contraception, very well. People already know they can go to the union for these products so it should be easy to implement a policy of providing STI testing kits as well. The Union is already taking some action to provide better signposting to some available services but expanding its services by working with other organisations such as MESMAC would also be beneficial and improve the safety of students.