In the article “Activity fees, student debt spark debate” that the Daily published on Monday, Dec. 3, there was some misinformation shared regarding the student health fee. I would like to clarify what the student health fee supports on campus.

The health fee comprises approximately 55 percent of the overall operating budget of the student health center and helps provide high-quality, accessible, affordable and accountable health care to the ISU student community.

The fee helps support a healthy campus environment that affects every student, including:

• access to on-campus physicians and nurse practitioners that provide medical care for illness and injury, which keep students healthy and in class.

• 24-hour accessibility to health information and advice.

• immunization management for the entire student body, including flu vaccination.

• public health monitoring and response.

• support of campus initiatives focused on health and safety.

• prevention and educational programming on high-risk drinking, sexual and interpersonal violence and other high-risk health issues.

The Daily’s article quoted a student saying: “This money is mostly used for Free Condom Wednesday or Thursday. But what if a student’s religion goes against contraception or believes this encourages having sex?”

In fact, a very small portion of the student health fee — only .05 percent — is used to cover condom distribution on campus. That’s less than a nickel of your health fee. Condom distribution is a proven and effective strategy for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy in the college student population, and therefore part of our overall mission of keeping the campus healthy.

The services provided by Thielen Student Health Center keep all students healthier and able to participate in class, student organizations and work. Healthy students make for a healthy campus.