Vending

Vanderbilt student government teams up with Planned Parenthood to install contraceptive vending machine

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May 6, 2024

Vanderbilt University student government partnered with Planned Parenthood to install a vending machine offering contraceptive materials, according to a Vanderbilt Hustler report.

Vanderbilt seniors Caleb Boyer and Caroline Rutigliano led the effort to have the vending machine installed. They chose to install the machine near the campus Munchie Mart because of the location's discreetness and accessibility to undergraduate students. "That location will hopefully help provide a little bit of privacy where it's not a huge open space where people can watch what you're buying," Rutigliano told the news outlet.

The vending machine will stock a wide range of health and wellness products including pregnancy tests, personal lubricant, COVID-19 rapid tests, emergency contraception and apple chips.

"The reason that we wanted such a diverse span of products in the machine is so people felt empowered to walk up to the machine and buy something," Rutigliano added. "If you're buying plan B at the machine, people don't necessarily know that. You could be buying apple chips that are also in the machine."