The partnership between leading nonprofits and EC companies will allow students to distribute over 135,000 units of free emergency contraception to their peers

Washington, D.C. (October 5, 2023) — Today, as lawmakers advance restrictions on reproductive health care that disproportionately impact young people, Advocates for Youth and the American Society of Emergency Contraception (ASEC) are launching the EC Access Network to expand access to emergency contraception (EC) on college campuses. Through a  partnership with 6 EC manufacturers and distributors, the EC Access Network will provide 135,000 EC pills to students on 500 campuses nationwide.

The EC Access Network is a collaboration between Advocates for Youth and ASEC’s Emergency Contraception for Every Campus (EC4EC) program. EC4EC has worked with more than 175 campuses in 41 states to improve access to emergency contraception since 2019, supporting peer-to-peer distribution of EC, implementation of EC vending machines, and advocacy with student health services for expanded EC availability. The Network will select students at 500 colleges and universities to facilitate peer-to-peer emergency contraception distribution. Participants will also receive training on sharing medically-accurate and inclusive information about EC, best practices for EC distribution, and tips on building long-term strategic campaigns for better sexual health policy. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Advocates for Youth in this exciting initiative,” said Kelly Cleland, Executive Director of the American Society for Emergency Contraception. “Through our Emergency Contraception for Every Campus program, ASEC has developed a proven model for targeted campus EC advocacy and the technical expertise required to support the implementation and sustainability of student projects. Advocates brings to this partnership a tremendous national network of college student leaders, and joining forces together will accelerate this work to a new level.”

“We’ve long-admired EC4EC’s groundbreaking work, and we’re proud to merge our organizations’ expertise to foster the next generation of activists fighting for sexual and reproductive health care,” said Deb Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth. “By training students to build sustainable grassroots campaigns and educate peers about EC at their schools, the EC Access Network will go beyond a one-time pill donation and expand access to emergency contraception on campuses for years to come.”

A coalition of major companies have contributed EC pills to ensure students within the Network can access and distribute emergency contraception at no cost. Those companies include:

• Bonita Pharmaceuticals
• Cadence OTC
• Curae Pharma360, a subsidiary of Medicines360
• DermaCare BioSciences
• Julie Products Inc.
• Plan B One-Step

The EC Access Network launches as young people are organizing for reproductive health care on college campuses, winning EC vending machines at nearly 50 colleges and universities and access to abortion pills on campus in New York and Massachusetts. For young people — especially low-income, POC, trans, queer, and other marginalized youth — accessing contraception can be unnecessarily difficult but crucially important to preventing unplanned pregnancies and protecting bodily autonomy. Building on the power and momentum of youth organizing, the EC Access Network will ensure students fighting for reproductive health care have the tools they need to ensure every young person can take control of their future.

Applications to join the EC Access Network and receive free emergency contraception launched today. More information and the link to apply can be found here. 

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-25 in the U.S. and around the globe. 

The American Society for Emergency Contraception (ASEC) is a fiscally sponsored project of Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants. ASEC works to create a world in which everyone, everywhere has access to affordable emergency contraception without barriers or stigma. 

For Immediate Release: October 5, 2023

Contact: Eleanor Naiman, eleanor.naiman@advocatesforyouth.org, 510-365-0675