Half of University Health Clinics Give Married Co-eds Birth Pills

Forty-five per cent of the nation's college health services, including Harvard's prescribe birth control pills for married students, according to a recent survey. But only eight per cent prescribe the pill for unmarried girls, and Harvard is not one of these.

The American College Health Association surveyed 315 of its member institutions, and the results were published recently by Dr. Lewis Barbato, director of the health facilities at the University of Denver. Dr. Barbato said yesterday that he conducted the research "for the purpose of letting the schools around the country know" where other stand on this issue. No schools were named in the report.

Dr. Dana L. Farnsworth, director of University Health Services at Harvard, said yesterday that UHS doctors may discuss any issue with a girl, but may not supervise the use of contraceptives by unmarried girls. "This is not an appropriate function for a college health service, and it is against Massachusetts law," he said.

Legal Block

Until last year, any discussion of the pill, even with married students, would have been against Massachusetts law. But last March the Commonwealth passed a law permitting doctors to prescribe them to married women.

In states where the law does not hamper college health services, policies range widely. Twelve of the schools surveyed will prescribe pills to any girl, regardless of age, even if she is not engaged to be married. Thirteen more will do so if the girl is over 21.

Pre-Marital Pills

Besides these 25 schools, 28 more will give pills to girls who are about to be married. The pills are usually prescribed about six weeks before marriage, but can be given earlier.

Twenty-three schools will dispense pills, "for medical reasons." The report does not elaborate on this. Seventy-eight schools will not get involved with unmarrieds under 21 for any reason; and 77 more will not distribute pills to single girls of any age.

The largest group, 178 schools, simply does not dispense pills to anyone.

Dr. Barbatos accumulated the information by mailing questionnaires to 334 schools last April. four were returned too late to be considered and 15 were discarded because they were all-male schools.