Shippensburg offers ‘Plan B’ in health-center vending machine

A Pennsylvania university has a new offering in vending machines — and it’s not soda or candy.  Shippensburg University students looking to buy the emergency contraception pill “Plan B” need only head to a machine in the health center.

Penn State senior Andrew Porter is co-founder of The School Philly.com a self-described blog about “sports, girls, and partying, in no particular order.”  Porter said he wrote about the vending machine availability of the contraceptive at Shippensburg, 40 miles southwest of Harrisburg, because he thinks it’s a cool idea.”It was a bold decision someone made and it’s a good way for students to purchase the product,” said Porter.  “People in college are having sex, so why not give them options?”In a written statement, a university representative said 85 percent of students surveyed supported making the contraceptive available.  He added that medical information is provided with the medication for purchasers to read before using it.  Students must check in at the health center before they can access the vending machine.