An emergency contraceptive vending machine is expected to debut at Yale University before students leave for winter break, according to NBC Connecticut. “There will definitely be Plan B in there and there will definitely some sort of other over the counter medications and there will definitely be condoms available near the machine,” said Yale College Council Senator Ileana Valdez.
The idea was proposed to the university by student Grace Cheung because emergency contraception “is often difficult to get, both at Yale Health, and at nearby pharmacies, and it is often a very uncomfortable and humiliating process.” Cheung told NBC Connecticut that she hopes an emergency contraception vending machine “would not just help make it more of a private process for students, but to also open up the conversation around safe sex on campus.”
Stanford University currently has a similar vending machine that supplies generic forms of Plan B, pregnancy test, feminine hygiene products and other drug store necessities. Previously, Her Campus reported that Stanford implemented these machines to be more responsive to the everyday needs of their students.
Parteek Singh was credited by The Telegraph for coming up with emergency contraception vending machines. After seeing female friends struggle to get emergency contraception in a timely manner, Singh thought vending machines would make obtaining safe sex supplies as easy as getting a midnight snack.
Yale University clarified that their health center already provided Plan B and other emergency contraceptives free of charge to Yale-affiliated members. Despite this, student Trina White told NBC Connecticut that “Yale doesn’t want to be super public with it,” so having a vending machine on campus would greatly benefit students.