Self-Service Kiosks Improve Access to Reproductive Health Products in PA
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What's great about these kiosks is that they simply improve access. We want to evolve how people access reproductive health services—making it easier for them to get items like pregnancy tests, menstrual supplies, and condoms. And the fact that these kiosks provide a place of anonymity and confidentiality makes them even more important.Kacey Schneider, FHCCP Title X Program Director
For Title X clients seeking both convenience and privacy, a self-service kiosk for sexual and reproductive health products could be the perfect solution.
Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (FHCCP), a private nonprofit and Title X grantee, recently launched a kiosk pilot in partnership with two subrecipients, Hamilton Health Center and Lebanon Family Health Services. Community members can access the kiosks 24/7 to get free STI testing kits, safer sex kits, pregnancy tests, menstrual products, emergency contraception (EC), and harm reduction supplies.
FHCCP understands that providing access to services goes beyond having enough providers; it’s also about creating an environment where individuals feel comfortable, confident, and assured their privacy and confidentiality will be respected. The kiosks help cultivate that environment especially in rural areas where the fear of encountering someone they know may make individuals hesitant to seek services.
The kiosks function like vending machines, allowing community members to discreetly select the products they need. Located outside each clinic, each kiosk is co-branded with the agencies’ logos. To increase awareness, FHCCP and its partners are promoting the kiosks through advertising and community outreach efforts.
Aligned with its mission to build and support community-based health networks, FHCCP uses braided funding to support this pilot project. By combining multiple funding sources, the initiative offers a flexible and sustainable approach to sexual and reproductive health care.
Since their installation in May 2024, the two kiosks have dispensed 954 free health products to 308 individuals, with the most sought-after items being pregnancy tests (137), emergency contraception (121), and condoms (117 packs of three). FHCCP has found that demand for specific products varies at different times, underscoring the need for consistent, round-the-clock availability of these essential reproductive health items.
Building on the initial success of the kiosk pilot, FHCCP plans to expand the program in fiscal year 2026. Adding more kiosks will help further FHCCP’s mission of providing accessible, confidential sexual and reproductive health care to communities throughout central Pennsylvania.
For more strategies to ensure access to emergency contraception and other sexual and reproductive health products, check out this EC checklist for family planning staff and our grantee spotlight about free EC kits in Missouri.