What About B?
Generally speaking, a trip to the Tang Center leads to one of two diagnosises: mono or pregnancy. Campus health workers are now working proactively to limit those options. From the Daily Cal:
“We’re pro-Plan B and always have been,” said Adriana Schoenberg, a nurse practitioner at the Tang Center.
At a meeting Tuesday between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Barr Pharmaceuticals, Barr said the company would resubmit its application to make Plan B available over-the-counter for women 18 and older within two weeks, taking into account the FDA’s latest recommendations…
Plan B must be prescribed by a doctor, but in California and eight other states the Emergency Contraception Pharmacy Program allows specially-trained pharmacists to distribute emergency contraception without a prescription.
The Tang Center prescribes Plan B to students as the emergency contraceptive of choice and strongly supports over-the-counter status for Plan B…
“We give it to anybody who wants it,” Schoenberg said. “We offer it even when people don’t request it…”
This story is interesting on a number of levels. First, since the University of California is a state institution, this is state endorsement of, and participation in the distribution of, emergency contraception - a very large political step for pro-choice advocates.
On a campus level, I certainly hope that not too much in the way of student fees is being spent on this endeavor. It was only a year and a half ago that students approved a $30 campus fee for the Tang Health Center to prevent insurance deductables from increasing and to improve fundamental problems like staffing and equipment shortages. As far as I know, those shortages still exist, and I’d really hate to see another university effort to put public image before basic student needs.
I generally refrain from talking about “real politics” on this blog, although in this particular situation, it’s pretty tough to be non-partial. I feel it’s important to qualify my position as somewhat torn on this particular issue - I am on the pro-choice side of the spectrum, and I do feel that a Plan-B-esque drug should be legal on some level to the public. However, Tang staffers are not exactly top-of-the-line, and I seriously doubt their ability to prescribe drugs like adderall and vicodin, much less the current Plan B drug. And, going back to the above point: I have to believe that there are much more serious concerns to be met by our student health center.
SHIP requires me to obtain all my medical care through the Tang Center (outside referrals must be pre-authorized), so I expect them to provide me with adequate primary care. This includes emergency contraception. If my thyroid conks out, or I get some other random ailment, I expect them to prescribe me the necessary drugs for that, too, even though my condition would not be a “serious concern” for student health as a whole.
Plus, if you think students don’t have unprotected sex, never have a condom break on them, and are never sexually assaulted, you’re insane. Reproductive health care is a serious concern for students, and Plan B is certainly cheaper than abortions or babies.
Why do you think that Plan B is more difficult to correctly prescribe than adderall or vicodin? The whole point of the Plan B OTC fiasco is that an FDA panel found it safe enough to merit OTC status, but their recommendation was ignored in a fairly unusual turn of procedure. Have there been serious bids to sell adderall or vicodin OTC, of which I am not aware?
Though there are still significant barriers to access at many campuses, emergency contraception has been available through student health centers at state universities for more than 20 years (source). Other schools have gone so far as to promote Plan B with pre-spring-break ad campaigns. Offering Plan B at the Tang Center isn’t an especially large political step, it’s simply routine medical care.
Comment by yami — August 15, 2006 @ 11:05 am
More serious concerns? Since when is emergency contraception not a serious concern? I know you don’t have a vagina or anything, but seriously. I won’t repeat everything yami just said, because it was said very eloquently. Have you ever been in a situation where you needed emergency contraception? I know you haven’t, but don’t pass judgment on those who have or will.
It is important that Tang does spend time on this and if they are allowed to give it from the pharmacy, they take the time to let people know so they can take care of themselves.
And we can stop with the stretch of anything-any-campus-department-does-is-like-being-sanctioned-by-the-state-of-California. It’s getting old. I’m sure the state does not officially sanction every activity that is done with its funds - sad but true.
Comment by N — August 17, 2006 @ 6:17 pm