GWU Adds a Birth Control Vending Machine to Its Campus

I don’t know if it is still in vogue but back in the day, fraternity houses across the nation would have cans of beer stocked in their soda machines. You just had to know which button to push. I’m not sure how they pulled it off since those machines are owned by someone else, but college is the time for creative thinking. Now, college campuses are installing vending machines that dispense morning-after pills. George Washington University is the latest institution of higher learning to make such an addition, following in the footsteps of Harvard, the University of California (UC) Davis, UC Los Angeles, UC Riverside, Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth, and George Mason. The group offering the machines, Emergency Contraceptive For Every Campus, or EC4EC for short, writes:

A vending machine on campus can provide a confidential, lower-cost way for students to access EC and other sexual and reproductive health products. A vending machine can help improve access when placed in an accessible private space (such as a gender-neutral bathroom) in a building with extended hours, ideally 24/7.

Axios reported that the students at GWU began advocating for an EC machine following the Dobbs decision, amid fears that they would no longer have access to “reproductive health” services — in other words, abortions. The move came on the heels of a survey of 1,500 students by student government leaders Neharika Rao and Aiza Saeed. The idea was a hit, with the caveat that the machine needed to be placed in a discrete location. In addition to the morning-after pills, which are available for $30, the machines also sell Tylenol, Advil, and tampons. Which is not a bad idea. I’ve seen aspirin and other OTC pain relievers in vending machines in many places around the United States, although I have never needed a tampon, so I have to admit I never really looked that hard. I suppose convenience is one of the selling points. Saeed told the Washington Post, “You could get Doritos and Plan B at the same time.” Yes indeed, because when dealing with a potential pregnancy, one’s first thought is naturally, “You know, I could really use some Doritos right now.”

I checked the FDA website to see how Plan B works. It is essentially a high dose of the hormone levonorgestrel. This prevents or delays the body from releasing the egg so it cannot be fertilized. It can also stop the egg from developing or attaching to the wall of the uterus.

Years ago, I had a friend who took the morning-after pill. She was miserable for a day. Mainly since, according to the website Medline Plus, the side effects include:

heavier or lighter than usual menstrual bleeding
spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
tiredness
headache
dizziness
breast pain or tenderness

But is it safe? That depends on who you ask. Many sources I checked said that it could be taken up to two times in the same menstrual cycle with no potential for problems. However, it should not be used as a regular form of birth control. But it is worth noting that Big Pharma did not get big by looking out for the consumer, so there may be little motivation to tell women not to use it repeatedly. Another source, the Population Research Institute, said that repeated use of the morning-after pill can cause serious problems for a woman’s cycle. It may also increase weight gain and the chances of ovarian cyst enlargement, gallbladder disease, ectopic pregnancy, depression, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, and even death. Click here for the full article and the citations.

It could be successfully argued that Plan B is not an abortion drug, since it is designed to prevent conception rather than terminate a pregnancy. Plan B and similar drugs do not require a prescription. And it is a fact that many college students are big bundles of hormones and away from home for the first time. So a certain amount of acting out is to be expected. But just because it is expected and routine does not necessarily make it a good idea. Yes, many people went a little nuts in their younger days, and most of them regret it. Would it not be preferable to give young people a better sense of themselves and instill in them an appreciation for life? They have professors, but do they really need mentors, even ones with regrets? After all, the hypocrite says “Do as I say, not as I do.” The teacher says “Do as I say, not as I did.”*

*No, that quote is not original. I wish it were, but I stole it from someone.