This article has been revised reflecting an update to the information about Julie Care’s contents; when taking Julie Care, please follow safe and applicable instructions for resuming regular birth control methods.
The Bucknellian met with Eliza Morris ’26, Vice President of Administration of Bucknell Student Government, who has been involved in the effort to bring Julie Care to campus to discuss the impetus for this work and what this means for the campus.
What is Julie Care, and why do you feel it’s important to safely and anonymously implement at Bucknell?
Julie Care is “a progestin‑only emergency contraception product that helps prevent pregnancy before it starts when taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex” as stated on the juliecare.co website. If you know what “Plan B” is, that is what this is, but a different, just as effective brand. Throughout my time at Bucknell, I’ve seen an immense number of students pushing for free, 24/7 and anonymous access to emergency contraception instead of having to have a consultation with student health and pay a small price or paying the full store price at a local CVS. Everyone deserves to have access to feminine health care without having to worry about financial struggles or what others will think of them. Because of that, this product is now available to all, free of charge and free of consultation, at any time in the Women’s Resource Center and during open hours at Student Health.
Why did you choose Julie Care over other potential options?
A friend and classmate of mine, Annie Burtson ’26, was one of many students here at Bucknell pushing for free access to emergency contraception. She also happens to work for Julie Care as their Impact and Innovation Intern. Because of her passion and direct connection to the cause, Annie was able to provide us information on how to become a part of Julie’s one-for-one donation program. This program donates one Julie box for every Julie box sold. This allows them to donate Julie to organizations and universities that can distribute to people in need.
Describe the process of introducing this idea to BSG and getting it approved/implemented. What are you most proud of?
There have been so many people here at Bucknell who are passionate about implementing free emergency contraception on campus. I have to give credit to all the awesome people who have pushed for this idea. Because of my position as VP of Administration for BSG, I was able to present this idea to the administration and see where we could go from there. Additionally, I give a huge amount of credit to Burtson and all the knowledge she brought to the table and work she put in to connect us to Julie Care. Without her, we would not have been able to find a way to have free access to emergency contraception.
This idea was brought to administration by the BSG executive board at the beginning of the spring semester. From there, we had to discuss a lot of logistics and privacy issues. Additionally, we were pushing for an emergency contraception vending machine—that is not feasible at the moment, but we will keep pushing for it in the future! Over the summer, all the contracting and logistics came together, which allowed for Julie to be on campus at the beginning of this semester.
What can students expect to see/experience when/if they use Julie Care?
Taking information from a BSG infographic about Emergency Contraception Pills (ECP):
Julie Care brand ECP must be taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. It is not an abortion pill, nor does it protect against or treat STIs. Julie brand medication contains levonorgestrel, NOT ulipristal; hormonal birth control methods (birth control pills) should be resumed without delay following the use of Julie.
Will this resource be available long-term?
Yes! We will be ordering more shipments from Julie Care as needed and it will be available for the foreseeable future.
Are there any further steps you’re taking on this topic that students should be aware of in the coming months? If not, what are you/your BSG colleagues shifting your focus to now?
Julie is available 24/7 in the Women’s Resource Center and during the time Student Health is open in the waiting room of Student Health. Inventory of Julie is checked and restocked daily to ensure that Julie is reordered in a timely fashion. Safety information regarding emergency contraception is available at both pickup locations.
Besides that, Bucknell Student Government is currently in full swing with elections and getting our Congress back up to full capacity. We look forward to our first Congress on Sunday, Sept. 22! In the meantime, we are checking in with Housing about the potential for free housing, setting up meetings with Dining Services to provide student feedback and meeting with other administrators and clubs to see what else we can do for our fellow Bucknellians!
