Stepping Up to Provide Access to Emergency Contraceptives
By Kara Schweiss
Photo by Ron Coleman, C4 Photography
Katie Mock and her husband, Noah, own two businesses: Nite Owl, a cocktail lounge they have owned for more than a decade, and Fizzy’s Fountain & Liquors, which opened in 2020. Mock is involved in several business organizations connected to where they operate: the Blackstone Improvement District and Blackstone Business Association (Nite Owl) and the Little Bohemia Business Association and Little Bohemia Business Improvement District (Fizzy’s). Mock is a committed entrepreneur, but her prior professional path in nonprofit development and her journalism education still shine through in her advocacy for multiple causes.
“There’s so many different things,” she said. “Reproductive rights, women’s issues, anything pertaining to the protection of children. We’re supporters of Planned Parenthood. We’re supportive of the local arts here in Omaha, we donate to the Bemis art auction every year, and we’ve been very supportive of the Westside Alumni Foundation since that’s where our kids go to school.”
So, when the Women’s Fund of Omaha—which Mock was familiar with through her prior nonprofit work—approached her about Nite Owl becoming one of the first sites in the city to offer a sexual health vending machine, beginning this summer, she didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“Nite Owl is inclusive, it has a laid-back, lounge-type feel. I don’t think we try to take ourselves too seriously. It’s meant to be a fun environment,” she said. “But it was a real opportunity for us to share what we’re about, what we believe in. We identify as an inclusive bar, so this seems like a natural fit.”
Access Granted, an initiative of the Women’s Fund to provide resources and education about sexual health to young people, launched this innovative solution to ensure convenient access to sexual health and wellness needs. Sexual health vending machines like the one introduced at Nite Owl provide discreet access to emergency contraceptives (EC) that’s also affordable at just $8. Pregnancy tests are also available in the machines.
Nebraska AIDS Project (6220 Maple Street) also provides a sexual health vending machine, with 24/7 access, but Nite Owl (3902 Farnam Street) was the first business to come on board, with downtown bar Mercury (329 S. 16th Street) following. As part of Access Granted’s mission, the machines “meet people where they are,” easing access to needed resources and pushing back against a political environment where lawmakers are threatening to ban birth control and information about sexual and reproductive health care. More information is available at GetAccessGranted.com.
Mock said that at this stage of her life, she was surprised that barriers to emergency contraception still exist for the initiative’s target audience of 15- to 24-year-olds and anyone else who needs it.
“When the Women’s Fund approached us to do this, I was actually shocked that access was still an issue. I remember 20 years ago, when I was in my 20s, that it was an issue then,” she said. “I guess I’ve aged out of this kind of thing, needing emergency contraceptives, so I had no idea what the current state of affairs was. I just figured there’s more birth control options than ever before, right? I was really taken aback by that lack of access, and it was motivating for us because I know I would have appreciated access like this 20 years ago.”
She added, “It was certainly a great fit for Night Owl, since we are passionate about reproductive rights. It’s our way to help the cause, and, of course, provide access; it’s unfortunate that it’s still an issue.”
Offering the sexual health vending machine in Nite Owl’s non-gender-specific restroom, so it’s available to all, was effortless to implement, she said.
“If that could be one contribution we can make, I feel like it’s a pretty easy thing to provide, so it was a pretty easy decision. It’s also cool that we’re the first and we were willing to show Omaha that we’re willing to stand up for what we believe in,” she said. “In addition to the vending machine, we do have a box of free condoms in our bar near our front door, that Planned Parenthood generously replenishes as needed. It’s another way that we’re promoting safe sex.”
Patrons have been purchasing emergency contraceptives from the vending machine since it was installed a few months ago, she said.
“We’ve been replenishing the vending machine, so definitely people are using it. We actually just had to get a new supply from the Women’s Fund,” she said. “We serve such a diverse clientele that we can hopefully reach a lot of people.”
Mock said she hopes that Nite Owl serves as a positive example for other businesses and paves the way for sexual health vending machines to be a more common sight, especially at businesses that serve young adults.
“I certainly hope more businesses follow suit,” she said. “For bars or businesses, I think it’s definitely worth a consideration.” W