‘Morning After’ pills now offered to students at George Washington University via new vending machine
The pills are sold to students at a discounted rate of $30
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}College students attending George Washington University (GWU) can now access "morning after" pills using a new vending machine inside the student center.
The Washington D.C.-based university is offering students the ability to purchase Plan-B, a name brand for emergency contraception pills, and other healthcare items like Tylenol, Advil, and feminine products, according to The Washington Post.
Contraceptive pills will be available at a $30 discounted rate, down from the $50 price tag typically found in pharmacies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The vending machine is supplied and operated by a private company and was not purchased or subsidized by the school or students. The college previously offered emergency contraceptive pills through the student health center but now provides an alternative vending machine in a discreet location.
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The effort was led by Aiza Saeed and Neharika Rao, a sophomore at GWU and a fellow student government leader, who helped get the vending machine installed after interest by the student association president.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When you want to reach for emergency contraceptives, CVS — which is [near] the university — can be out [of stock], which can be nerve-racking. So, a reduced price … is really helpful to students." Rao told Axios.
Student government called for the project after Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer.
"You could get Doritos and Plan B at the same time," Saeed, a GWU senior and student government member, said to the Post.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Columbia, Stanford, Harvard, and now GWU are part of a growing number of U.S. colleges offering contraceptive pills to students as part of the Emergency Contraceptive For Every Campus campaign. The program has worked with student organizations at more than 70 campuses across 31 states.
Kelly Cleland, the executive director of the American Society for Emergency Contraception, said that around 32 campuses around the country have similar vending machines.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a Monday email, D.C. regional coordinator for Students for Life of America Shaohannah Faith said the move showed a lack of concern for women's health on campus. She also said the decision to distribute the contraceptive pills "with the same readiness as candy and chips" was both "reckless and disappointing."
Many student centers across the country offer a variety of contraceptives. Emergency contraception pills have been sold over the counter in the U.S. since 2014.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GWU did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.