Claire Lin balances two campuses and one mission: to make sexual health education accessible and stigma free. A student at the Davidson Academy, a public school for gifted students located on the ҹɫÊÓƵ campus, Lin is also taking courses at the University while dedicating her time to public health advocacy as part of the Condom Collective.
Lin was first introduced to reproductive justice in eighth grade after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “That’s when I first learned about period poverty and attended teach-ins that introduced me to more reproductive healthcare issues like contraceptive access that inspired me to take action,” she said.
The Condom Collective is a peer-to-peer program supported by Advocates for Youth that provides free safer-sex supplies and resources on college campuses nationwide. At Nevada, Lin helps lead the effort, distributing condoms and safer-sex kits, answering questions, and sparking conversations about topics that many students may find difficult to bring up.
“Sexual health is health. When students feel comfortable talking about it, they can make informed choices that protect themselves and their partners,” said Claire Lin, founder of the Condom Collective
Condoms are available to students through the Student Health Center, but Lin recognized that access was limited for students on the south end of campus. “Not everyone has time to walk across campus between classes,” Lin said. “I wanted to make sure students could pick up supplies in places they were already spending their day near the Joe and the Quad.” With her efforts, condoms are now stocked at multiple sites, making it easier for students to access resources without stigma or inconvenience.
Her advocacy also extends beyond campus. Along with her work in the Condom Collective, Lin is part of the , a program that works to expand access to emergency contraception on college campuses nationwide. The network was created by in partnership with Advocates for Youth. These organizations have helped her to connect with condom manufacturers to secure donated supplies.
“We go through thousands of condoms each semester,” she said. “Building relationships with manufacturers helps us keep up with demand and make sure every student who wants supplies can get them.”
Lin’s efforts are part of a larger movement in Nevada’s public health community to expand access to sexual health and harm reduction. Mia Kirk, Ph.D., who successfully defended her doctorate in the summer of 2025 and is now the principal investigator for the Overdose Data to Action grant at the School of Public Health's , has studied harm reduction vending machines as an innovative way to distribute resources such as naloxone, hygiene kits and “safe sex kits” that include condoms. Her research spans multiple sites across Nevada, showing how technology can complement peer-to-peer outreach and reduce barriers to access.
Lin connects directly with students through tabling events during the year. In early September, she teamed up with the at the University’s Club Fair, meeting hundreds of students and sharing information about safer sex, consent and the resources available through the Condom Collective. “Tabling gives us a chance to talk to students face-to-face,” Lin said. “Even if someone just takes a pamphlet or a safer-sex kit, that is a starting point for them to learn more.”
For Lin, this work is deeply tied to her values. “Sexual health is health,” she said. “When students feel comfortable talking about it, they can make informed choices that protect themselves and their partners.”
Her advocacy reflects the applied learning model of the School of Public Health, where students put public health principles into practice while they study. By bridging classroom knowledge with real-world action, Lin and her peers show that public health education is not just theory but lived experience on campus.
The impact of the Condom Collective goes beyond numbers. Each semester, thousands of safer-sex supplies are distributed across the University, but the real difference comes from conversations that encourage openness and reduce stigma. Those peer-to-peer exchanges help normalize sexual health as part of overall well-being.
To add to those conversations, Lin self-publishes Poundtown, a zine she created to serve as both a creative platform and a vehicle for contraceptive distribution in the Reno community. Students and community members can connect with Lin through Instagram at or by email at whatupdoggies@gmail.com.
As Lin pursues her education at both the Davidson Academy and the ҹɫÊÓƵ, she is already making her mark as an advocate. Her work with the Condom Collective is a reminder that students can lead important cultural change, empowering their peers and helping build a healthier, safer campus for everyone.
