“Back up Your Birth Control Day” is the latest manifestation of the ongoing debate among UNCW students regarding reproductive rights.

On Tuesday, March 22, Voices for Planned Parenthood (VOX), a pro-choice student organization, participated in the nationwide “Back Up Your Birth Control Day” by putting posters up around campus urging female students to get Plan-B, commonly known as the morning-after pill, before they need it.

UNCW students have become increasingly active in expressing their views regarding Plan-B. Pro-Life University Students (PLUS) sponsored a display of “The Life Tree” in January and the Feminist Majority Leadership Association’s (FMLA) petitioned for Plan-B to be given over-the-counter status in February.

Plan-B was originally approved by the FDA as a prescription drug in 1999 and has demonstrated to be 75-88 percent effective if taken within 120 hours after sexual intercourse.

Currently UNCW’s Student Health Center can prescribe Plan-B and the on-campus pharmacy can fill the prescription. However, in order for women to obtain Plan-B they must first attend an hour-long “Women’s Seminar” regarding sexual education.

In addition to arguing that Plan-B should be available over-the-counter, many pro-choice students believe that the majority of student health centers do not do enough to make emergency contraceptives available to students.

“[Plan-B] is a second chance to prevent pregnancy. It’s hard to obtain and a lot of women don’t have a steady health care provider. It would be more effective if was over-the-counter,” said Kristen Guilsh, president of VOX.

Some pro-life students regard Plan-B not as a form of contraception but rather abortion, and therefore believe that the Student Health Center should not offer Plan-B to students.

PLUS President Laura Johnson said, “Plan-B is used after conception has already occurred. For the Health Center to present Plan-B as contraception is a falsehood.”

According to the organization’s vice president, Josh Ledford, PLUS is currently planning to protest the Student Health Center’s policy of providing Plan-B to students.