Despite the controversial morning after pill and the distribution of it, or other forms of it on college campuses, Nicholls health services does not offer this pill. According to Kim Brannagan, director of university health services, the reason Nicholls does not offer the pill is because of staffing issues. The current physician does not write prescriptions for the morning after pill, and no other female birth control methods are available to students on campus at this time. According to the Federal drug Administration, the morning after pill is an emergency contraceptive that should be taken up to 72 hours after intercourse to prevent or end a pregnancy. The pill has the same steroids found in a normal birth control pill, however the dosage is at a much higher level. That is where the controversy begins.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette shares Nicholls’ thoughts of emergency contraception and also does not offer the morning after pill.

Louisiana State University and Southeastern Louisiana University do not offer the morning after pill either, but rather a similar over the counter form of it called Plan B. The Plan B pill can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent and by 95 percent if used within 24 hours of intercourse. The pill can either delay ovulation or prevent fertilization, or it can prevent an embryo from implanting in the woman’s uterus. The pill offers a burst of progesterone and is taken in four pills. Two pills should be taken within twelve hours of each other.

As far as ever offering the morning after pill, Brannagan said that she has been working on a grant for more personnel funding that could help with the distributing of the morning after pill. She also said that if health services can work with someone else, the possibility for the pill is there.

“Right now with our current physician, we won’t get it,” Brannagan said. “If we could collaborate with public health, maybe so.”

The closeness of providing the pill on campus would be helpful according to some women.

“I think it would be a good idea,” Becky Redmond, mass communication senior from Houma, said. “If someone wants to buy the morning after pill, I think they have to drive to New Orleans to get it. I think it would be nice if it was offered on campus.