By Harsna Chahal, Master of Public Health
Currently, I am acquiring my Master of Public Health and will be starting Medical School in the Fall of 2024. What inspired me into wanting to go into healthcare and wanting to work with women and children is hearing the countless stories of individuals who had limited access to and education about reproductive and sexual healthcare. Seeing the various social determinants, like lack of accessible hospitals, finance, and transportation can negatively affect one’s individual life. In the future, I want to be able to utilize my medical knowledge and create programs to increase access to sexual and reproductive health education. One of the projects I’ve been working with since my time as the ASMSU director of health and wellness is a drive to make emergency contraceptives widely available on campus. This fall, we’ve had some success!
I can get free emergency contraceptives at Michigan State University?! YES YOU CAN!!
East Lansing Free Emergency Contraceptive, a student-led organization, is partnering with two offices (Women*s Student Student Services (Room #14) and the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (Room #302) in the Student Services Building) to provide free Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive, for students. Just stop in during business hours and ask for a “wellness kit.”
But wait!? What is an emergency contraceptive?
Emergency contraception is a pill that can be taken after unprotected sex or a contraceptive failure (like condom breaking or forgetting to take birth control at the right time). For more medical information utilize MSU’s pharmacy resource page (https://pharmacy.msu.edu/resources/medication-information) or contact the Michigan State University 24-hour Olin Health Center Nurse Hotline at 517-353-5557.
Do we really need this?! Um….YES!
It is important to not only make reproductive and sexual health products accessible and affordable, but to increase sexual and reproductive health education for everyone. By educating individuals about various reproductive and sexual health medical education and the numerous products individuals can purchase, MSU creates an environment where students can make the best-informed decision for their sexual and reproductive health. Additionally, students can start having a conversation with their medical provider about what works best for their bodies. On top of this, creating an inclusive and safe space for students to talk about their own experiences and utilize this skillset to be able to effectively communicate their needs and boundaries to their sexual partner.
By making free Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive, accessible on campus we are helping to tackle barriers, such as financial or lack of transportation, that students may face trying to acquire an emergency contraceptive. Overall, we can promote student success at Michigan State University by breaking down the barriers that may interfere with their academics and personal lives.
Just within the first week, via our on-campus resource centers, as well as one-on-one student meetups, outside of limited business hours, we have provided 148 students with free Plan B One-Step. In total, students have saved approximately $7,400 through use of this resource!
Do you have plan to expand access?! Yes, we want to sustain this initiative!!
Through my internship in Women*s Student Services I want to continue advocacy for increased reproductive health education, services, and information at Michigan State University for students. Additionally, I’m pushing for us to extend our partnership with East Lansing Free Emergency Contraceptive and advocate for several vending machines across campus that will not only provide emergency contraceptives, but other wellness items (e.g.over the counter medications, condoms, dental dams, and many more).
Stay tuned for next steps and follow this page for detailed updates on the resources provided by W*SS: https://wss.msu.edu/resources/index.html.
Information from EC4EC.org, plannedparenthood.com, goodrx.com, and mayoclinic.org