Birth control has become harder to get. New York has some creative solutions
A typical vending machine on a university campus might offer students the usual range of sodas, Sunchips, and Skittles. But a vending machine installed earlier this year at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, has a unique offering: Plan B pills.
The vending machine, located in the campus library, is an effort to ensure that emergency contraceptives are affordable and accessible to the student body, with the Plan B pill costing as little as $10, compared to typical costs of $40-$50. Students have 24-hour access to the machine and can purchase other over-the-counter pharmacy items they may need, like pregnancy tests and Tylenol. Proceeds from the machine go back to re-stocking and maintaining products.
“Given the existing stigma around purchasing Plan B, we decided to put other over-the-counter things people could purchase such as Tylenol or Motrin,” said Serena Schmitt, a medical student at the university who, along with medical student Olivia Preston, led the initiative. “The vending machine shouldn’t be something people are afraid to access.”
