The Washington Post reported last year that a vending machine for emergency contraception was installed at a Washington, D.C., university. This was in response to Roe v. Wade’s Supreme Court decision.
Aiza, a student at George Washington University, worked with school officials and her peers to create a vending machine on campus that sold “morning-after pills.”
Saeed told the Post that it was possible to buy Plan B and Doritos simultaneously. This was the brand name for an emergency contraceptive pill.
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION: This morning, GW University installed a vending machine on campus that sells emergency contraception pills (aka Plan B) for $25. This afternoon on News4, we’ll chat with the student leaders who advocated for the machine @nbcwashington @GWtweets pic.twitter.com/xN96tgRmLR
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) January 24, 2023
Another student was Neharika Rao, GWU. WRC-TV spoke to her about how after Roe V. Wade was overturned, she felt passionate about making sure that people felt supported.
Rao & Saeed surveyed more than 1,500 students to get their opinion on the vending machine.
Rao stated the main concern was privacy.
The vending machine which supplies Advil and Tampons was placed in the basement of the student center.
Christian Zidouemba was the president of the student organization at GWU. He said that the campus needed to respond.
Zidouemba stated, “We need to make it cheaper and more discrete so that people can buy it,” and added that he was looking at ways to lower the cost.
According to GWU spokespersons, the cost of pills at a pharmacy can go as low as $50. However, the price for the pills at the university’s vending machine is $30. This gives students an affordable option.
Kelly Cleland serves as the executive director of the American Society for Emergency Contraception. According to Cleland, her non-profit has assisted students from more than 70 schools to access emergency contraception. Cleland also stated that 32 campuses now have emergency contraception vending machines.
WRC-TV reported that vending machines are found at many universities, including Dartmouth University, Boston, Dartmouth University, New Hampshire, and Northeastern University.
Shaohannah Faith, a Washington, D.C., regional coordinator for Students for Life of America, called the GWU’s decision alarming and told the Post that providing the pills “with the same readiness as candy and chips is reckless and disappointing.”
