Students can receive free reproductive health care at the Student Health Center if they qualify for the new program Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment.

According to the Student Health Center, 300 low-income students are already receiving free birth control, reproductive health tests and sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment under Family PACT.

The program is open to students who are low-income California residents. Students must be at or below an income of $17,960 per year if they are single with no dependents.

Students must declare their income levels, but will not be asked for pay stubs or tax forms. Proof of residency is not required.

Students who do not have insurance that covers family planning or who do have insurance, but wish to keep family planning confidential can use Family PACT.

After filling out the Family PACT form, students receive a card that offers free services from the Student Health Center.

Family PACT offers prevention of unplanned pregnancy, basic reproductive health assessments, pregnancy testing, counseling and birth control methods.

The program also gives free advice for prevention, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, including Hepatitis B and HIV.

Student Alexandra Vasquez said she did not know about the program, but thinks it is a good idea.

“I would use the program if it came to that and I couldn’t afford it (family planning),” Vasquez said.

Students can save $40 for annual checks and $10 per month on birth control.

The program is not fully implemented at the university so far. The pharmacy does not yet provide free drugs, so students must take their prescriptions for free birth control or STD treatment off-campus to pharmacies that are Family PACT providers.

The Student Health Connection in the University Union is not offering free services for participants of Family PACT, though they said they hope to be under the program by the end of the month.

The service is available for both men and women, though more women use the service than men, said Laurie Bisset Grady, director of health education for the Student Health Center.

Raul Valdez said he thinks the reason fewer men are in the program is the preconceived idea that birth control is the role of a woman. He would use the service and thinks it is good for students who can’t afford health care.

“People have sex no matter what their morals and religion are so it should at least be safe sex,” Valdez said.

Bisset Grady stressed the importance of the program for those who qualify.

“People have been turned away because they don’t qualify,” Bisset Grady said.