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I was responding to some earlier comments that seemed to say there should be a grab bag of them somewhere and that taking a couple is no big deal. I disagree--we're not a point when the MAP is stashed in a first-aid kit. For sale in a health office, I think it's fine.
I agree. And I agree with Finster about parents talking to their children.
Considering some of the things I read onlne from young people who post their opinions as absolute facts, or who have extremely limited experience in the real world and think they have all the answers, I shudder to think of ANY college student getting his/her medical advice from a roomie or the 20something sitting next to the machine in the student lounge.
"Go ahead. Perfectly safe. I read the directions for my antihistimines once and I even stayed at a Holiday Inn Express."
If it's available at the health center, then I would assume they have access to a nurse? I don't know much about college, so I'm asking as an ignoramus. But I can see your train of thought, do you meant that if you have to ask for it you'll get the spiel on it along with it?
And I'm wondering how many people are going to overdose on a pill that costs $25 a pop.
Perhaps it's use and side effects should be something taught in Sex Ed, so young women are aware before they hit college. Aware too that's it's emergency contraception, not meant to replace proper use of traditional BC.
This is something as parents that we need to educate our kids about, so they don't end up using it in an improper manner.
Oh, cost and common sense will keep most women safe, but I could totally see someone popping several pills in too short a period of time. People are really stupid. I mean, really. And these aren't the kind of people who would ask a nurse/health professional for their input.
I think that the benefits of having someone give you a quick spiel about how to take the pill safely each time you buy it would outweigh the small amount of extra embarrassment it would cause.
I was responding to some earlier comments that seemed to say there should be a grab bag of them somewhere and that taking a couple is no big deal. I disagree--we're not a point when the MAP is stashed in a first-aid kit. For sale in a health office, I think it's fine.
Ok, I gotcha. I do agree that having them in machines outside every Wal*Mart takes the seriousness out of the equation.
This is something as parents that we need to educate our kids about, so they don't end up using it in an improper manner.
Certainly parents have to educate their children on a great number of things, birth control included. But the availability of this prescription medication is predicated on the notion that these college students are grown ups. Grown ups get their prescription medication and the education about said prescription medication *from their doctor*. One of the reasons prescriptions are required for some medication is to ensure said information is imparted from doctor to patient.
Certainly parents have to educate their children on a great number of things, birth control included. But the availability of this prescription medication is predicated on the notion that these college students are grown ups. Grown ups get their prescription medication and the education about said prescription medication *from their doctor*. One of the reasons prescriptions are required for some medication is to ensure said information is imparted from doctor to patient.
OK, fools jump in where angels fear to tread, so here I come!
Quote:
Originally Posted by UnexpectedError
Seems strange to me. The vending machine is in the student health center, where you have to check in to get access to it anyway to keep out random people on the street, so why bother with the vending system? Why not just stock them behind the health desk and have them available upon request?
Just seems like an unnecessary mechanism to put in.
Probably because the health center isn't open 24/7. None of the health centers I am familiar with are open that much. Many are open just a few hours a day, weekdays only.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UnexpectedError
Hm, then maybe just on a shelf inside the health center and you have to buy it like you'd buy a bottle of tylenol.
I appreciate that it's an awkward situation and I think women should be able to buy Plan B without feeling shamed or hassled (like a number of pharmacists seem keen to do), but there is a point where I feel like saying grow up already. You're an adult and you participated in adult activities and now you are doing the responsible adult thing by making sure an unwanted pregnancy is prevented. So the person running the health center desk knows you had sex, I think the embarrassment shouldn't trump making responsible health decisions.
See above. The sooner you start taking it, the more likely it is to prevent pregnancy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BirchBarlow
So a life is worth $25 dollars huh? Our society sure has come a long way. Abortions in a vending machine. So they can fornicate Monday, take the pill on Tuesday, and be back to fornicating by Wednesday. If I were a parent and I had a child at Shippensburg, I'll pull them out tomorrow. I would never support an institution so devoid of morals and value for human life.
Depending upon where you are in your cycle, Plan B or Plan B One-Step may work in one of these ways:
It may prevent or delay ovulation.
It may interfere with fertilization of an egg.
It is also possible that this type of emergency birth control prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in your uterus by altering its lining.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustJulia
It's the morning-after pill, not a packet of Pez. At the very least, everyone who takes it should have immediate access to a nurse or pharmacist who is trained to answer questions and provide coaching. Overdosing on the MAP is serious.
It should come with a package insert (all drugs do) that explains its use. There's probably an 800 number on the package that one can call for more information.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UnexpectedError
Oh, cost and common sense will keep most women safe, but I could totally see someone popping several pills in too short a period of time. People are really stupid. I mean, really. And these aren't the kind of people who would ask a nurse/health professional for their input.
I think that the benefits of having someone give you a quick spiel about how to take the pill safely each time you buy it would outweigh the small amount of extra embarrassment it would cause.
HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING
The Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet 1.5 mg is available in a PVC/aluminum foil blister package. The tablet is almost white, round, and marked G00 on one side.
NDC 51285-942-88 (1 tablet unit of use package)
College students are notoriously cheap, so they aren't *too* likely to buy more than one pill @$25 a pop.
It's not the embarrassment issue, IMO, it's the availablitly issue.
OK, fools jump in where angels fear to tread, so here I come!
Probably because the health center isn't open 24/7. None of the health centers I am familiar with are open that much. Many are open just a few hours a day, weekdays only.
See above. The sooner you start taking it, the more likely it is to prevent pregnancy.
Depending upon where you are in your cycle, Plan B or Plan B One-Step may work in one of these ways:
It may prevent or delay ovulation.
It may interfere with fertilization of an egg.
It is also possible that this type of emergency birth control prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in your uterus by altering its lining.
It should come with a package insert (all drugs do) that explains its use. There's probably an 800 number on the package that one can call for more information.
HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING
The Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet 1.5 mg is available in a PVC/aluminum foil blister package. The tablet is almost white, round, and marked G00 on one side.
NDC 51285-942-88 (1 tablet unit of use package)
College students are notoriously cheap, so they aren't *too* likely to buy more than one pill @$25 a pop.
It's not the embarrassment issue, IMO, it's the availablitly issue.
The vending machine is in the health center and students cannot access the health center without checking in with someone at the lobby. That means that if the health center is closed, so is the vending machine. So why the vending machines again instead of buying it from an actual human being? How often do people even read the instruction and warning inserts? Tiny font on thin paper blathering on and on about stroke, blood clots, and death just like every piece of medication seems to carry. I'd be happier with someone handing them the pill and giving them a quick rundown of dos and don'ts.
And to a dim young woman who just had unprotected sex, $25 is going to seem like a bargain compared to an unwanted pregnancy. And if you have sex several days of the week? Just take several pills! Easy!
The vending machine is in the health center and students cannot access the health center without checking in with someone at the lobby. That means that if the health center is closed, so is the vending machine. So why the vending machines again instead of buying it from an actual human being? How often do people even read the instruction and warning inserts? Tiny font on thin paper blathering on and on about stroke, blood clots, and death just like every piece of medication seems to carry. I'd be happier with someone handing them the pill and giving them a quick rundown of dos and don'ts.
And to a dim young woman who just had unprotected sex, $25 is going to seem like a bargain compared to an unwanted pregnancy. And if you have sex several days of the week? Just take several pills! Easy!
You know exactly how this health center is set up? Good for you. It may be that the lobby is open with a student aide but the staff are not there all the time.
How often do people listen to what the nurse tells them? As a nurse who works triage, I can answer that-not often. They especially don't listen for comprehension. I am happy if the patient gets half of it right. I'm not being sarcastic or disdainful, that's just how it is. I'm the same with a computer repairperson. At some point a person has to take responsibility for themselves. If the packet says "read before using", you're supposed to read it.
That's a very degrading comment to make about women in general, let alone a woman in college.
You know exactly how this health center is set up? Good for you. It may be that the lobby is open with a student aide but the staff are not there all the time.
How often do people listen to what the nurse tells them? As a nurse who works triage, I can answer that-not often. They especially don't listen for comprehension. I am happy if the patient gets half of it right. I'm not being sarcastic or disdainful, that's just how it is. I'm the same with a computer repairperson. At some point a person has to take responsibility for themselves. If the packet says "read before using", you're supposed to read it.
That's a very degrading comment to make about women in general, let alone a woman in college.
You know exactly how this health center is set up? Good for you. It may be that when the staff are off duty, the building is shut down. Maybe the building is 24/7, since the article did say the college is rather isolated. Your assumption = my assumption.
People get more out of hearing a few bullet points than being handed a long packet of info and told to read carefully. That's part of the reason pharmacists exist. If we're going to fall back on people taking responsibility for themselves, they wouldn't need the MAP in the first place, would they?
I said nothing about women in general. I specifically said most women would be able to use the morning after pill with no problem, but it's not so absurd to imagine a dim woman taking more than she should and causing herself harm. If you're a nurse, surely you know just how incredibly stupid people can be. And these days getting into college means diddly squat.
I want women to have access to the MAP. I don't want them to have to feel ashamed or embarrassed when they get it, but I care more about their health and safety than their pride.
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But I can see your train of thought, do you meant that if you have to ask for it you'll get the spiel on it along with it?
