Contraception vending machine possibly coming to Logan campus

Students may soon have 24/7 access to emergency contraception and other essential health items due to a student-led initiative aiming to install a pharmacy vending machine on campus. Backed by both local advocates and national momentum, the project seeks to reduce barriers to healthcare access and normalize reproductive health resources in higher education spaces.

The initiative is being driven by Students United for Reproductive Freedom in partnership with faculty members like Lu Lawrence and with inspiration and guidance from Jamie Maughan, University of Utah student and Women’s Health DNP candidate who is working to expand these vending machines across Utah campuses.

Lawrence emphasized the overwhelming student support they’ve seen so far through a campus-wide survey.

“We had over 100 responses within the first few days,” Lawrence said. “Students clearly want more accessible, stigma-free options for healthcare, especially in moments of urgency.”

The vending machine would offer emergency contraception, commonly known as Plan B, along with affordable over-the-counter items like ibuprofen, cold medicine, menstrual products, condoms and lubricant. While similar items are available elsewhere, Maughan explained students in Cache Valley face unique challenges.

“Many local pharmacies keep emergency contraception behind the counter, which creates a barrier,” Maughan said. “A vending machine would offer a more private, convenient and affordable solution.”

Maughan, who learned about the vending machine model through the ASCENT Center Summer Institute, has been working to expand the concept to USU. Although she wasn’t involved in launching the machine at the U, her collaboration with the ASCENT Center and first-hand knowledge of its success has helped shape the vision for USU.

The machine at the U has already distributed more than 2,000 doses of emergency contraception and led to the addition of a second, dorm-based machine for round-the-clock access.

“This isn’t just about emergency contraception,” Lawrence noted. “It’s about broader access to healthcare products, especially for students who may not have reliable transportation or who face stigma when asking for these items in person.”

The project has received funding support from the Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research, and donated products from ASCENT will help stock the machine. Locations currently being considered include the TSC and the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Still, both Lawrence and Maughan acknowledge the cultural challenges of implementing such a resource in a traditionally conservative region.

“We do anticipate pushback, but access to legal, FDA-approved products shouldn’t be controversial,” Maughan said. “It’s about health, privacy and equity.”

Nationally, over 110 universities across 27 states have already implemented similar vending machines. Illinois even passed a law in 2023 requiring emergency contraception be made available through vending machines on public college campuses. With multiple Utah campuses now exploring similar initiatives, USU advocates hope the university will follow suit.

“If approved, we could see this machine in place within a year,” Maughan said.

“We already have a model to follow — we just need institutional support.”

Students who wish to get involved are encouraged to participate in the ongoing survey that is accessible through posters around campus, join SURF or contact university administration to voice support.

“This machine would be a step toward inclusive, responsive healthcare access on campus,” Lawrence said.  “It’s a conversation our students are clearly ready to have.