Students who want to get condoms on campus at American University have a choice: expensive or inconvenient. They can either buy them at the Eagle’s Nest for a 50-cent mark up, or walk to the Health Center in Nebraska Hall and get lower quality ones for free.

The Eagle’s Nest sells condoms for $2.19 per condom, while CVS sells them for only about $1.66 each. They are also easier to find at CVS, since the Eagle’s Nest keeps them inconspicuously displayed: close to the floor on a rack against the front window, to the left of the registers.

Perhaps because of this, only one of three students interviewed was aware that condoms were even available at the store. SIS junior Jessica Llewellyn said the only reason she knew they were available was because she used to work there.

“I probably wouldn’t have paid attention otherwise,” Llewellyn said.

Condoms at the Eagle’s Nest are displayed in packs of three, but sold individually. If the cashier fails to mention this, a student asking about the price of condoms could be left with a false impression. All three students interviewed said this bothered them.

“It’s false advertising,” Kogod junior Kali Wood said. “It’s very dishonest.”

Llewellyn said she thinks it is important that students are aware they are only getting one condom at a time.

“They’re more expensive, and you’re not even getting your money’s worth,” Llewellyn said. “What if one breaks?”

College of Santa Fe junior Michael Smith, a former AU student, said it gives the impression that the Eagle’s Nest cares more about money than about being helpful.

Out of the three students interviewed, only Smith did not know condoms were available for free at the health center.

“I didn’t see it advertised when I was there,” Smith said. “It should be.”

Though the Health Center has condoms for free, Nebraska Hall, across Ward Circle from main campus, is much less convenient. It is about a 15-minute walk from the south side dorms, and from the north side of campus, it is still significantly farther than the Eagle’s Nest.

The hours also make the Health Center a more difficult option. The center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until 4:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, it is only open after 4:30 by appointment. It is not open on weekends.

Despite the campus options, all three students said they would be more likely to take the AU shuttle to the Tenleytown CVS than to get condoms at the Eagle’s Nest or the Health Center.

“Based on the hours and the inconvenience of the Health Center,” Llewellyn said, “and because I’m lazy, I’d be more likely to just buy them at CVS.”

Each student thought that the university could do more to make condoms easily available to students.

Smith said he thinks that the university should have condoms available in the residence halls, or at least in a more central location than Nebraska Hall.

“Here at Santa Fe, we have [condoms] in the residence hall that is in the exact middle of campus,” he said.

According to Rick Treter, Associate Director for Housing and Dining Services, the university wants to ensure that condoms are only handed out as part of a safe sex education program. Therefore, distributing them at an educational floor event is okay. Having them available at any time is not.

Wood agreed that vending machines for condoms in the residence halls would be a good idea.

“I think that the residence halls should feel obligated to provide birth control to students,” Wood said.

American Word Staff Writer Jordan Berg contributed to this report.

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