Columbia University: How We Are Working With Students to Improve On-Campus Access to Reproductive Healthcare

By Reproductive Justice Collective of New York & Planned Parenthood Generation Action at Columbia University
Krithvi Rayarapu, Marlee Turner, and Marisol Rojas-Cheatham

Over the past two years, we, as members of Columbia University’s chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action and the Reproductive Justice Collective, have been organizing alongside students to address a growing concern: the lack of affordable, accessible, and confidential emergency contraception (EC) on campus.

What started as a student-run system for distributing emergency contraception at no cost has now evolved into an ongoing, data-driven effort to ensure reproductive healthcare access for all Columbia students. In spring 2025, we launched a comprehensive survey to better understand student experiences and satisfaction with the university’s existing options to access EC. The survey received nearly 400 responses in just a few months, an important signal of how deeply this issue resonates across the student body.

The results were unequivocal:

• 86% of respondents said that Columbia’s current on-campus emergency contraception options are unaffordable.

• Nearly twenty percent of respondents rated accessibility at the lowest possible score of 1 out of 10, with an average campus accessibility rating of 4.6/10.

• Students described barriers such as broken or unstocked machines, restricted locations behind security desks, and a lack of privacy when attempting to purchase EC.

• Over 98% of respondents said they would support a vending machine offering affordable sexual and reproductive health products, citing convenience, discretion, and 24/7 access as key priorities.

The survey also included powerful testimony from students about what’s at stake:

“They’re too expensive in general and it feels like Columbia and Vengo are taking advantage of students who are scared and emotionally vulnerable for profit.”

“I’ve had friends who couldn’t access Plan B in time due to pharmacy hours — this would be a game changer.”

“It would help destigmatize sexual health and show Columbia supports students’ full well-being.”

These voices make clear that the issue extends beyond price — it’s also about autonomy, dignity, and safety.

In response, our coalition has developed a proposal for a reduced-cost wellness vending machine that provides 24/7 access to emergency contraception, menstrual care products, harm-reduction tools, and other essential health supplies.

Partnering with SimpliCheck, a provider of reproductive and sexual health kiosks, our plan emphasizes confidentiality, affordability, and accessibility. The SimpliCheck vending machines are designed to maintain user privacy while offering items such as emergency contraception, STI testing kits, pregnancy tests, condoms, and naloxone — combining reproductive care with broader wellness and harm-reduction support.

We are now engaging with Columbia’s administration and key campus offices to advance this proposal and ensure that student needs are met with the care and urgency they deserve. Through ongoing meetings, advocacy, and coalition-building, we are working toward implementing a model that reflects the values of student health equity and reproductive justice.

This project represents more than just a campus improvement — it’s part of a national movement to reclaim access, privacy, and affordability in reproductive healthcare. Across the country, students like us are leading efforts to fill the gaps left by institutional barriers and to make sure reproductive care is treated as an essential part of student well-being.