Nonprofit installs Lincoln’s first sexual health vending machine
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – With the cost of emergency contraception pills like Plan B at nearly $50 at major retailers, one Nebraska nonprofit has unveiled Lincoln’s first sexual health vending machine.
The machine is at 1867 Bar, at the corner of 14th and O streets downtown.
Lincoln’s unit complements three similar machines in Omaha as part of an initiative launched in the summer of 2023 by the Women’s Fund of Omaha.
It’s a cashless, touch-screen system that allows anyone to purchase pregnancy tests for $3 and the Plan B pill for $8.
Sexual health vending machine inside of 1867 Bar in Lincoln
Those prices are a sharp contrast to similarly priced products at retailers like Target, where a pregnancy test runs around $6.99 and Plan B is $46.99, or Walgreens, where the price is $9.99 and $49.99, respectively.
Jo Giles, executive director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, said the nonprofit saw similar ideas in other cities but mostly on college campuses.
The group wanted to bring resources to the wider community and ensure access outside of regular pharmacy hours.
“We’re also trying to reduce the shame and stigma of someone that’s maybe going into a local pharmacy, and maybe they see somebody they know,” Giles said. “They may not want to go up and ask for Plan B to be unlocked from a case and have a conversation with a pharmacist.”
To further people’s privacy, products purchased from the machine aren’t identifiable on bank statements or credit card accounts.
The Women’s Fund partners with distributors to get free or at-cost products, with the money spent at the machines covering maintenance and product shipping costs.
Regardless of age, race or political alignment, Giles said access to products like these is vital to community health.
“It’s important for people to have access to what they need when they need it, and not having additional barriers and control over your availability options,” she said.
1867 Bar and the Women’s Fund are hosting a fundraiser Friday night to showcase the new machine. It begins at 7:30 p.m. and will feature social time, giveaways and trivia.
