The Planned Parenthood "EC van" made its first visit to the University yesterday, offering the Plan B emergency contraception pill for sale to University students, faculty and community members.
Members of the student group Voices for Planned Parenthood, or VOX, invited Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia to come to the University. The EC van was parked in front of the Chemistry building yesterday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
About a dozen prescriptions for Plan B were written for clients yesterday, said Nancy Sinibaldi, a nurse practitioner with Planned Parenthood. Sinibaldi said she spoke with patients to inform them about how and when to take emergency contraception. After each consultation, Sinibaldi said she wrote a prescription for Plan B. Sinibaldi said the medicine will be mailed to the client by a pharmacist in about one week.
Laurie Dawson, the director of advocacy for Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia, said emergency contraception is good to have on hand to "back up your birth control" and is most effective when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.
VOX President Lindsay Prevette said having emergency contraception is a good safety measure considering the high incidence of rape.
"It needs to be in every woman's medicine cabinet, if only for rape purposes," Prevette said.
Dawson said that at least two students who were not sexually active purchased EC as a cautionary practice.
Members of VOX also said they wanted the EC van to come to the University because of a bill proposed by State Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William, intending to ban Virginia's public universities from dispensing emergency contraception.
"We are in great danger each year of having that bill passed," VOX member Katherine Koen said. "The van is here in part to protect women if the bill goes through next year."
Some students also stopped by the van to state their objections to EC, Lawson said. Prevette, however, said they experienced very little antagonism and VOX will most likely invite the van again next year.
Samantha Kepler, president of the University's pro-life group First Right, said she opposes the sale of Plan B because using the pill could be considered an abortive practice.
"I'm kind of concerned because a lot of women don't realize that EC can abort your child after conception because it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg," Kepler said. "A lot of women don't realize that and aren't told that that can happen."
Sinibaldi disagreed with Kepler and said that emergency contraception is not an abortive practice.
"It prevents an abortion because the egg hasn't even implanted," Sinibaldi said. "It has to implant to be an abortion."
James Turner, executive director of the Department of Student Health, said Student Health makes emergency contraception available to women who need it.
"It's a service that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to our patients," Turner said. "If they meet the appropriate screening criteria, they can be given emergency contraception."
In some cases, women who use barrier contraception and are concerned that it may fail, or who intend to travel abroad, can request a prescription for emergency contraception and have it filled in advance, Turner said.
"As long as this is a medical practice that is legal and FDA-approved, it is our intent to make it available to women just as any other medical practice," Turner said.
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