For background, read Plan B Remains Illegal for Kids Under 17 Despite FDA's Contrary Approval
UPDATE 1/29/13: Obama's FDA gives official "OK" for Plan B vending machine
-- From "Pa. college machine dispenses 'morning-after' pill" by The Associated Press 2/7/12
Vice President for Student Affairs Roger Serr says the machine was installed after a request from the student association and a survey found 85 percent of student respondents supported it.
Plan B is available without a prescription to anyone 17 or older.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Plan B at university vending machine - University releases statement" by Ewa Roman, WHPTV-21 (CBS Harrisburg, PA) 2/8/12
On Tuesday, Shippensburg University released a statement on the availability of Plan B to students:
We are not the first one to make Plan B available so this is not unique to us or to public higher education.To read the entire statement from the University, CLICK HERE.
The machine, which vends only health-related items, is in a private room in our health center and the health center is accessible only by students. There is one machine only and the medication is not available anywhere else on campus. In addition, no one can walk in off the street and go into the health center. Students proceed to a check-in desk located in the lobby and after checking in using appropriate identification are granted access to the private treatment area.
The university is not encouraging anyone to be sexually active. That is a decision each student makes on his or her own. The university does strongly encourage all students to make wise and appropriate decisions in all aspects of their lives.
Reproductive services are a personal decision to be made by every man and woman. As such, the university is providing students with a medication that they can obtain legally elsewhere as part of their ability to make their own choices. The medication does come with explanatory details about the drug, its usage and effects. Medical staff is also always available for consultation before a purchase is made.
From "Morning after pills in vending machine on college campus has regulators concerned" by Geoff Herbert, syracuse.com The Post-Standard 2/8/12
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it plans to contact state officials and the university to gather facts. It doesn't appear that any other vending machine in the U.S. dispenses the contraceptive, which can prevent pregnancy if taken soon after sexual intercourse.
But if it's been available at the school for more than two years, why all the fuss now?
Some religious conservatives like Dahlkemper have long considered Plan B to be tantamount to an abortion drug. Taking Plan B within 72 hours of sex -- whether it's rape, condom failure or not using regular contraception -- can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent, especially if taken within the first 24 hours.
Rob Maher, a professor at the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, told the Associated Press . . . [he's] worried the vending machine could mean a young person buys the emergency contraceptive drug without discussing risk factors with a health care professional. "That's the big risk with a vending machine like this," he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Shippensburg University Vending Machine Dispenses Plan B" by Kevin Begos, Huffington Post 2/7/12
[Plan B is sold] in the vending machine along with condoms, decongestants and pregnancy tests.
The machine has been in place for about two years, and its existence wasn't widely known until recently.
On whether the machine might violate the law, "I don't have a definite yes or no," said Ron Ruman, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees the state pharmacy board. If a person younger than 17 used the machine, it "potentially could be a violation," he said.
Deanne Hall, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, noted that the ease of access to such a machine could be positive for many women, but she wondered whether self-treatment might deter sexual assault victims from seeking medical attention.
Said Anna Franzonello, counsel to Americans United For Life: "Students at Shippensburg University deserve better than to have their administration represent the potent drug with life-ending potential as no more harmful than any other vending machine item."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "University Allows Sale of Plan B Drug in Vending Machines" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 2/7/12
Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life of America condemned the sale of the drugs, that can cause early abortions in some cases.
“SU is now offering curbside abortions in the form of morning after pills (Plan B), which are being discreetly sold to students in a vending machine located at the campus’ health center for $25 a pop,” she said. “I really can’t understand what’s private about putting money into a machine to purchase a lethal drug and then watching folks bang on it when the pill box gets stuck.”
“But really, privacy isn’t the matter at hand here,’ she added. “What I and thousands of the students SFLA serve find most outrageous about this story is that Shippensburg University has placed a higher priority on what they perceive to be politically correct than on the safety and well-being of their female students.”
“To allow an abortion pill on campus to be sold through a vending machine without even so much as a doctor’s exam is beyond comprehension. Birth control requires a prescription and a consultation between the patient and doctor before ordering. Plan B is a high-dose version of the birth control bill intended to stop ovulation or abort a newly created human being after intercourse,” Hawkins continued. . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
