Two years ago, I needed Plan B. I needed the morning-after pill, a pill that is taken to prevent fertilization up to 72 hours after conception. The drug is sold in most drug stores around the country and poses no serious side effects. As a sophomore living on campus, I heard that Decker Student Health Services Center, located conveniently behind my residence hall, sold the pill to those who needed it.
I went, expecting a simple transaction, but was met with an obstacle. If I wanted Plan B, I would have to sit and endure a 30-minute appointment with a nurse practitioner, in which they would discuss the pill with me and possibly what led to my needing it. I didn’t stay for the discussion. I took the bus to Walmart and bought the pill over the counter. There was no look, debate or deliberation on the part of the salesperson. He rang me up, smiled and even wished me a good day.
I wondered on the way home what that appointment would have entailed. I was informed that they would describe what to expect from the drug, but would I be forced to give a reason as to why I needed the drug? Would they assume the sex was consensual in the first place or that I hadn’t already had a method of birth control that failed during intercourse? There is a range of circumstances leading up to a woman’s need for Plan B. I realized in that moment that if I had been raped, and for whatever reason decided not to report it and sought Plan B from Decker Student Health Services, I would be forced to either lie about my circumstances or come clean about my being there. No woman should be forced to give an explanation of why she needs a drug that is relatively safe and sold in drug stores around the country.
To be fair, Decker Student Health Service’s website lists all the possibilities of why a woman would need the pill. They also list two community resources, Southern Tier Women’s Services and Family Planning of South Central New York, where women can get the pill over the weekend to fill the 72-hour recommended window of effectiveness. They do not list Walmart or CVS, which may be more convenient for women without cars. A large draw for women to receive the pill from Decker Student Health Services is not only the locational convenience of being on campus, but its cost. Its website advertises the pill as $15 — although they say price is subject to change — which can be $35 less than the retail price of other drug stores.
Alternatively, an appointment with the nurse is a wonderful option for women to talk about what to expect from Plan B and why they should take it. While I had researched the side effects and specific function of Plan B, it’s always nice to have a health professional explain it rather than sift through online medical jargon.
However, the appointment shouldn’t be compulsory. Some women experience a sense of stigma or shame that accompanies the drug and they might feel that a mandated appointment with a health professional is a lecture or perhaps a wake-up call. Additionally, there is the time-sensitive component of Plan B, which loses its effectiveness after 24 hours. For women in college busy with work and classes, they may not have time to afford a half-hour appointment with a nurse practitioner.
For my final column, I did not intend to discredit the staff at Decker Student Health Services and the otherwise wonderful work they do. They may not necessarily have control over the policy or understand its potential impact on young women at a vulnerable period. But women on this campus should be aware of this policy before they come across it on their own. Some women may truly benefit from the appointment, while others could do without it. What’s critical is the need to decide for themselves.
Kristen DiPietra is a senior double-majoring in English and human development.