Appalachian State's Wellness and Prevention Services ran out of emergency contraception at the start of the semester. Student worker Hailey Ricard applied for a donation, and the office received 192 boxes worth $9,598 in early September, according to The Appalachian, the university's student newspaper.
Wellness and Prevention Services Director Jordan Perry told the paper it should provide about a six-month supply of emergency contraception.
The office had temporarily run out of Plan B at the start of the semester. Ricard, a senior child development major who works there, said she was already searching for donations when she had to send a student looking for the pill to a pharmacy off campus. "He seemed so stressed out, and I felt really bad for him," Ricard said.
Ricard found the Plan B One-Step Emergency Contraception Donation Initiative on the product's website. Its maker says it donates product and fact sheets free of charge to qualifying clinics, nonprofits, mutual aid and advocacy groups. She submitted details about App State's student population, demographics and need for emergency contraception. She expected the process to take several weeks. She heard back within a few days.
Ricard was at a coffee shop with a friend when the post office texted that the order had arrived. "We literally screamed in the middle of this coffee shop," she said.
A box of Plan B typically costs $45 to $50, a cost Ricard said can be a barrier for college students. She said buying the office's usual supply of generic emergency contraception would have cost the department $5,772. Plan B may also work less well for people who weigh more than 165 pounds, which can mean a prescription and a higher price, according to Planned Parenthood, as reported by The Appalachian.
Students can pick up Plan B and other contraceptives at the Wellness and Prevention Services front desk, and they don't have to give a name or email. "A lot of the time students coming in are already nervous. I don't want them to feel stigmatized when they're picking up these items," Ricard said.
The office is on the lower level of the Miles Annas Student Services building and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It also provides condoms, pregnancy tests and Narcan. Through the Condom Fairy, students can order free sexual health supplies for discreet pickup, and the office hosts Sex in the Dark, where students submit sexual health questions anonymously.
Wellness and Prevention Services hopes to seek more donations throughout the year, and Ricard's next goal is to partner with University Housing to put women's health products in residence halls.