Vending machines are a ubiquitous feature of today’s society. Way back in the 1950s, vending machines offering condoms were available in men’s restrooms for a bit of change; however, today one college campus houses a vending machine that contains the morning after pill, which can be obtained by sliding $25 into the machine. You might expect the first of these machines to be placed in free-thinking San Francisco, where public nudity is permissible, or even in less progressive-minded Los Angeles. However, the first morning after pill vending machine was placed on the campus of Shippensburg University, located in central Pennsylvania. The machine was installed at the Etter Health Center at Shippensburg, a public school of 8,300 students in Appalachia’s scenic Cumberland Valley; it contains the Plan B One Step emergency contraceptive along with condoms, pregnancy tests, and one unrelated product: decongestants.
The emergency contraceptive is available without a prescription to anyone 17 or older; the school checked records and found that all current students are that age or older. The concept began when the university conducted a survey regarding health center services several years ago. Approximately 85% of the students were in favor of making Plan Bone-Step available. Spokesman Peter Gigliotti noted, “The machine is in a private room in our health center, and the health center is only accessible by students. In addition, no one can walk in off the street and go into the health center. Students proceed to a check-in desk located in the lobby and after checking in are granted access to the treatment area.”
Plan B One-Step is an emergency “morning after” contraceptive that prevents a pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of having unprotected intercourse. Currently, the pill is available over-the-counter at pharmacies to individuals 17 and older; because of Secretary Sebelius’ ruling last December, younger teens are required to furnish a prescription. "The sooner Plan B is taken, the better it works," said Amy Niemann, vice president of Teva Women's Health. She added, "That is the entire rationale for having widespread availability for this product." Nancy L. Stanwood, MD, MPH, section chief of family planning at Yale School of Medicine, noted that full over-the-counter (OTC) status would have made emergency contraception available to many more people who need it. She noted, “The irony of Plan B not being OTC for women of all ages is that it has not been available for the women who need it the most… "Teens may be sexually active for a while before they see a doctor to get a prescription for contraceptives. ... [With emergency contraceptives] they don't just have to hope the condom doesn't break. There is something they can do. "Emergency contraception pills become less effective as time passes after unprotected sex, so time is of the essence for women hoping to prevent a pregnancy.
On December 19, a report was published that noted that teen access to the morning after pill was further impacted by the fact that some teens who qualify for over-the-counter purchase of the pill being were being denied the purchase by the pharmacists. Thus, Los Angeles teens who reside in the city’s less affluent neighborhoods may have difficulty in obtaining the medication.
The study, which was published online on December 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that women who live in low-income neighborhoods are more likely than their wealthier counterparts to get misinformation about emergency contraception from their local pharmacies. The study reported that young women in areas where teen pregnancy rates are highest may struggle most in trying to get the morning-after pill, which can prevent a pregnancy after unprotected intercourse.
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