Shoutout: UF THE Brown Bag Project

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Written by: Elizabeth Cianflone

Position, Member Since: General Member, Joined Fall 2024

Major & Track: Biology, Pre-Med

Current Year: 2nd Year

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During my women's studies class, we had someone from the Brown Bag project come in and explain their initiative to make birth control more accessible to students (for FREE). I thought it was super interesting and possibly helpful so I wanted to share with my fellow AMWA ladies. The brown bag project is a relatively new initiative, started by the UF chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action (you can find them at @ppgenactionuf on Instagram).

"Our mission is to bridge the gaps of access to reproductive resources on campus by providing students with free, discrete access to contraceptives, pregnancy tests, and other reproductive health care materials."

They have a Google form that you can fill out if you need Plan B, condoms (external or internal), dental dams, and even pregnancy tests. When filling out the form, you give your contact info like your number and email, and what you're looking to get in your brown bag. You can then arrange a place to meet to pick up your items on campus. There is also a spot where you can put the urgency of your request. They try and make it as anonymous as possible, to reduce some of the shyness you might have when trying to get these things.

To help support their initiative, you can take a survey after using their services. They also have an amazon wishlist, and a donation option to keep these resources free. Or, you can share the info with your friends! (Which is what I decided to do).

In the modern day, where access to abortion is severely limited in the state of Florida, having these resources available can really help make a difference. The members of this org really want you to be safe and have the resources you need when you're sexually active. They also have a bunch of info regarding other sexual health resources and women's clinics in the area. Highly recommend checking them out!

You can direct questions to https://thebrownbagproject.weebly.com/