Plan B Emergency Contraceptive In School Vending Machine

By: Pat Prescott
02/08/2012 07:40 PM ET

Plan B Vending Machine – After a survey was conducted that showed support for the idea, Pennsylvania University began offering the ‘morning-after pill’ called Plan B in a vending machine that normally held beverages and snacks.

The pills have actually been available for two years in the machine located in the school’s health center. However, it was not known about on a larger scale, until now.

Shippensburg University surveyed its 7,600 plus full-time students, and 85 percent of them were in favor of having the over the counter pill stocked in vending machines. The option would save the students some humiliation of having to go into the small town of Shippensburg to buy the emergency contraceptive.

“I think it’s great that the school is giving us this option,” junior Chelsea Wehking said Tuesday. “I’ve heard some kids say they’d be too embarrassed.”

The pill is not allowed to be sold to anyone under the age of 17, so the school checked their records and found that no one under the age of 17 attended the university. The Plan B One Step pill cost $25 out of the machine. Students are still only allowed access to the machine with the pills after checking in with the front desk of the health center, according to Peter Gigliotti, Executive Director for University Communications and Marketing.

The pill is capable of preventing pregnancy if taken shortly after unprotected sex. According to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Roger Serr, 350 to 400 doses are sold a year to female students.

The FDA and other officials are now looking into the matter to see if there are any rules against the pill being able to be readily available in a vending machine.

Source: Plan B Vending Machine