The Morning After Carolina

“Can I get the peanut butter and jelly soda?” is a question that may seem out of place at a coffee shop, but it is not unheard of at Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews. This order, in particular, is a code phrase for Plan B, also known as the “morning-after pill,” one of the many progressive-minded health programs Epilogue prides itself on participating in to benefit students and locals.

Much like many other large public universities across the country, UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus maintains a level of casual hookup culture, oftentimes ending in pregnancy scares that prompt retroactive precaution. In fact, a 2017 article from The Daily Tar Heel titled “Students buck stereotypes of hookup culture” points to approximately 15% of college students preferring hookups over long-term relationships. Nonetheless, as foreshadowed by the article’s headline, an overwhelming consensus disagrees, believing “hookup culture” among students receives more attention than it warrants.

Composed of the active ingredient levonorgestrel, Plan B is an emergency contraceptive medication that prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex by temporarily delaying or preventing ovulation. Plan B works most effectively up to 72 hours after vaginal intercourse. Moreover, the largest barrier to access may not be university restrictions but rather a lack of easily accessible information and the general stigma surrounding conversations about feminine hygiene and sexual health.

Reproductive access at UNC-CH is not taboo, but it does require a level of anonymity and care that university healthcare systems sometimes overlook. Student advocacy groups and local safe havens for marginalized groups have attempted to fill these gaps.

To put it into perspective, let’s dive into the options students have on campus the morning after. After a student wakes up, 12 hours may have passed, and classes wait for no one.

A student’s first instinct may be to head to the Campus Health Pharmacy or a nearby pharmacy on streets adjacent to university property. At $11 per package, these are low-barrier points of access, yet they maintain a heightened amount of visibility to peers. These pharmaceutical locations do not require an appointment and provide the contraceptive over the counter.

Healthy Heels adopted vending machines equipped with the brand-name “O-Pill,” providing a more private purchase for $11. These vending machines can be found at Carolina Union, Rams Head Recreation Center and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon to find a sold-out machine, raising complications to an already time-sensitive situation.

Student-led initiatives such as Campus Y committee RAUNCHy (Reproduction Access at UNC-Chapel Hill at the Y) provide the most vital alternative to university-backed avenues for emergency contraceptives. According to an October 2025 report by The Daily Tar Heel, RAUNCHy secures a cost-free and anonymous solution for students and local community members seeking Plan B. Simply put, anyone can submit an anonymous Google Form found on the organization’s Instagram page and pick up their order at the Campus Y building within two to three business days. RAUNCHy encourages placing orders under a pseudonym, providing security and privacy that pharmacy counters cannot. Other avenues include the “PB&J soda” codeword at Epilogue, as previously mentioned.

Of course, RAUNCHy has addressed the time constraint as a potential drawback for those who order late by suggesting that students order Plan B before they need it. On top of stocking up on emergency contraceptives, all students concerned with sexual health and safety can act proactively through outlets like Student Wellness in SASB North for free safer-sex supplies. They can also visit Campus Health in the James A. Taylor Building near UNC Hospitals and Kenan Stadium, which offers sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention upon appointment.

After all, the “morning after” is simply that: the morning after. It should not be a continuing panic or nightmare for students at UNC-CH, and fortunately, it does not have to be.