Walgreens and CVS — which have locations at USC Village and on the first floor of University Gateway on Figueroa Street — announced Friday that they will begin offering mifepristone, one of two pills taken in sequence to end a pregnancy via medication abortion. The other pill, misoprostol, is already available at pharmacies with a prescription.

CVS will roll out the pill sometime next month in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Illinois, where the drug is legal. 

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Chief Campus Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said the medication is very effective and safe compared to surgical procedures — particularly in the early stages of pregnancy — in a joint briefing Wednesday with the Daily Trojan and Annenberg Media. Mifepristone is currently available at medical providers’ offices or by mail, something Van Orman said is not typical for other medications. 

“It’s strange that this medicine was treated differently for other non-healthcare, nonmedical reasons than any other medication we use,” Van Orman said. “Let’s look at this drug. Let’s look at its indications. Let’s look at how we would treat this if we removed some of the other layers that were not about health and medicine and that we would have people pick it up at the pharmacy.” 

Not being able to get mifepristone at a pharmacy poses a “medical barrier,” Van Orman said, particularly if one lives far away from their medical provider’s office. 

In honor of Hazing Prevention Week, Campus Activities is tabling at Hahn Central Plaza this week to encourage students to sign an anti-hazing pledge. Other hazing prevention week activities include sunset yoga, an interactive experience to explore hazing scenarios, and “dos and donuts” — a coffee chat between students and Department of Public Safety dispatchers to learn more about potential hazing situations. 

Van Orman warned students that not all forms of hazing are as overt as having to consume excessive amounts of alcohol. 

“Sometimes hazing can take on other more subtle forms, where people may be asked to do things, to be part of a group,” Van Orman said. “Somebody might be feeling uncomfortable about it, they might be feeling, ‘I don’t feel like this is safe,’ or, ‘This doesn’t align with my personal values.’”

Some forms of hazing are associated with serious health and safety consequences, and victims are often subjected to severe social pressure, Van Orman said. 

“Many times, the victim of hazing is feeling really vulnerable,” Van Orman said. “They may not have power, they may want to be a part of this organization or this club and [they] really may not see they have a voice in it.” 

She also said bystanders play a critical role in preventing any sort of hazing situation and ensuring that hazing victims don’t feel powerless. Bystanders are crucial in identifying when a situation is crossing the line into hazing and in getting help or speaking up, Van Orman said. 

Van Orman also said she wants students to give themselves permission to take a couple of days off in case they feel pressure to use spring break to get ahead on coursework. She recommended that students take some time to think about what they can do from a “restorative standpoint” during spring break. Even students who may not be able to go back home because of work or financial limitations can find ways to “recharge” and “rejuvenate” themselves, she said. 

“[Take the] opportunity to go to a part of Los Angeles you’ve never been to, to eat somewhere that you’ve never been, to take some time out to relax and to do something different,” Van Orman said.