Reese McQueen is an associate board member for the New York Birth Control Access Project.

The availability of over-the-counter emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B or other generic morning after pills, in wellness-related vending machines on campus will improve access to essential health care resources. 

Suffolk County has a low ratio of contraception prescribers to the average population group of reproductive age. Contraception access is the cornerstone to reproductive autonomy, with greater availability of safe and effective contraception leading to increased educational achievements. Free condoms are great, but are they enough? When condoms are typically used they are only 87% effective, but they are often prone to tears and slips, as well as common use errors. 

An unfortunate stigma around obtaining emergency contraceptives may hinder people from picking up these products in person at Student Health Services (SHS) or the Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO), both of which are health resources at Stony Brook University. Vending machines on college campuses offer a convenient solution, allowing individuals to obtain low-cost, emergency contraceptives discreetly. These vending machines are available during a wider range of hours, as on-campus services can be inaccessible to people who have multiple classes, work a job or are involved in various extracurriculars. 

Unprotected sex occurs at all hours of every day of every week, not just during business hours. Although emergency contraception can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex, the effectiveness increases when taken within three days. Emergency contraception is also useful for victims of sexual assault, who may not feel comfortable traveling to SHS or CPO to pick up Plan B. Vending machines afford these individuals with anonymity and allow them to be in control of their healthcare decisions.

SHS is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; CPO has similar hours and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Individuals may need emergency contraceptives when the weekend rolls around, during which both SHS and CPO are closed. Students may face additional obstacles in booking an appointment at SHS. This may cause students to seek emergency contraceptives from a local pharmacy or healthcare provider, which can be timely, expensive and difficult. Name brand Plan B costs between $40 and $68, on top of costs of transportation and time. In comparison, these vending machines would stock  generic emergency contraceptive pills for as low as $7 per box, which is just above wholesale cost. Proceeds from the machine would go back into stocking and maintaining products. 

Stony Brook University is also home to a large number of international students who may not have access to a car to drive off campus. The campus bus makes limited stops off campus and may not work with a person’s schedule. Although emergency contraception has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be sold over-the-counter, many stores and pharmacies keep it behind the counter or locked up. This can make the experience of purchasing it intimidating, especially for international students who may not be native English speakers or for students with social anxiety who may struggle with interacting with a pharmacist or cashier.

These proposed vending machines can stock not only emergency contraceptives, but also menstrual health products, condoms and other essentials. This allows students to discreetly obtain contraception, as no one will know what item the student is obtaining, whether it be tampons or pain relief medicine. Emergency contraceptives already exist in several campuses in New York — such as John Jay College, New York University, Columbia University and Stony Brook’s fellow SUNY, Binghamton University — proving this model can be implemented effectively. For example, at Columbia University, as soon as the vending machine was installed there was a marked increase in the purchase of emergency contraceptive pills. 

To overcome barriers, address disparities and enhance accessibility, we must prioritize emergency contraceptive vending machines on our campus.