Ever since a renowned university installed a vending machine for the morning-after pill,
Many other universities have considered implementing the same. Well, what are morning-after pills, and why are they being installed on college campuses? Read on to know more.
What Is a Morning-After Pill?
The morning-after pill refers to a drug or medication used for emergency contraception.
Morning-after pills are different from regular, routine birth control pills. They are used in specific situations where regular birth control methods and protection fails.
Some of these situations include:
- Having sexual contact without using any form of protection.
- Birth control failure ( such as forgotten birth control pill, broken condoms, a missed dosage of birth control shots)
- Facing forced sexual intercourse(rape)
Several brands are available for morning-after pills. However, the progestin-only morning-after pill Plan B One-Step is available over the counter.
How Does Plan B One-Step Work?
Plan B One-Step is a morning-after pill that can be consumed orally after unprotected sex.
It is a medication used to prevent conception. But not recommended for regular contraceptive use.
The pill contains levonorgestrel, a hormone that is found in several birth control pills. It will work more effectively when taken immediately after unprotected sex. The Plan B One-Step contains 1.5 milligrams of Levonorgestrel.
Morning-After Pill Vending Machines on College Campuses
To ensure emergency contraception access, the morning-after pills vending machine is being introduced on several college campuses.
The University of Washington has multiple vending machines, one of which gained popularity nationwide after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to roll back constitutional protections for abortion last year. This vending machine supplies ibuprofen, pregnancy tests, and morning-after pills.
According to the American Society of Emergency Contraception, currently, 39 universities in 27 states have vending machines and at least 20 others are considering them.
the Plan B One-Step is available over the counter in all 50 states of America.
Washington became the first U.S. state to allocate money around $200,000 to colleges for the next year. It is an initiative to expand the availability of the morning-after pill in public universities and technical colleges through the vending machine.
The University of Washington installed the vending machine after the student-led campaign.
It sells Plan B for $12.60 and more than 650 boxes have been sold. Some machine offers the drug at a lower cost than at the University of Washington.
Lawmakers in Illinois and New York insist that at least one birth control pill vending machines are available on state college campuses.
This machine will not be installed in K-12 schools or disclosed to the elements. The temperature and humidity must be controlled.
“Having a vending machine is so easy. You don’t need to go to a pharmacy. You don’t need to go through your health care provider” says a University of Washington pharmacy student and board member of UW Pharmacists for Reproductive Education and Sexual Health.
The morning-after pills are considered effective when it is used immediately. The vending machine is essential for the victims of rape when the pharmacies are closed.
