GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB/Gray News) – The University of Florida is one step closer to allowing students access to emergency contraceptive pills 24/7 in vending machines.
In a non-binding decision, the student senate voted unanimously to offer the morning-after pill, best known as Plan B, in vending machines around the university.
Students are pushing to get Plan B in vending machines so that the emergency contraceptive is accessible any day of the week at any hour. The on-campus pharmacy has limited hours, so students do not have access to the pills after a certain time every day.
The main issue is that the pharmacy is closed for 43 hours straight on the weekends during the school year. If students need an emergency contraceptive over the weekend, not having it readily available decreases the pill’s effectiveness, as the pill is the most effective in preventing pregnancy if taken within the first 24 hours after sex.
“When you get something out of a vending machine, it’s so simple and straightforward, you can go at any time of the day and get it,” graduate student Fiona Harris said.
While students could go off-campus to get Plan B over the weekend, it will cost a lot more. The pill is available for $10 at the university’s pharmacy, which is cheaper than at most pharmacies like Walgreens or CVS, where Plan B typically runs in the $50 range for a single pill.
This is not the first time Florida students have tried to get better access to the pill. The first push came in 2018, but students were met with what they say were “vague” responses from business services and treasury management.
“They shut us out,” said Alia Delong, a member of the National Women’s Liberation Gainesville chapter. “This is the first time that this project has revived since we got that response from UF (in 2018).”
The unanimous vote from the student senate is just the first step in making the vending machine plan a reality. Students now must get approval from university business services, the campus health center and Canteen Vending Services to complete the project.
Florida would not be the first university to have Plan B in vending machines. Others across the U.S. have adopted similar strategies.
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