Two years ago, Parteek Singh's friend needed emergency contraception but couldn't find it. That sparked the University of California at Davis senior's idea that the college should offer things like Plan B, condoms, and other forms of contraception in easy-to-access vending machines.
Now, Singh's idea has become reality.
UC Davis installed a vending machine — called the Wellness-T0-Go machine — carrying Plan B, condoms, pregnancy tests, pads, tampons, and medications such as pain relievers and allergy meds in the campus recreation center over the college's spring break.
“Most college students are sexually active … and these resources should be provided to them," Singh told The Sacramento Bee.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Students can get condoms and emergency contraception at the student health center, but the health center is closed on weekends and after 5:30 pm on weeknights, according to the campus website.
This vending machine is now an easy option for when students would most likely need Plan B. UC Davis students can buy Plan B through the vending machine for $30, the lowest possible price for the pill, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Singh spent two years fighting for the vending machine, which was initially rejected by college officials, he told The Sacramento Bee. The college offered to start selling Plan B in the bookstore instead, which would still hold students to set hours and would require a most likely awkward encounter with their peers.
“Students already don’t feel comfortable buying it from pharmacies,” Singh told The Sacramento Bee. “Can you image [sic] buying it from another student?”
These machines offer much-needed anonymity for young girls who may need to buy Plan B or any other form of contraception. And it looks like even more college students will have that option in the future: Singh told Fox40 that he has already been talking to other universities and nonprofits interested in the Wellness-To-Go machines.