SAN ANTONIO — An entrepreneurial couple in San Antonio sells more than snacks and drinks in their vending machines. The lone machine nestled in the laundry room of an apartment complex near UTSA also offers emergency contraception pills to prevent pregnancy.
Javin Resendez and Bethany Davila own BB&E Vending Company in the Alamo City. Together, they care for a 1-year-old child.
“We both kind of endured a lot from having kids at a young age,” Resendez said.
Separately, Resendez and Davila became parents at an early age, having growing up in an environment where talking about sex, let alone birth control and abortion, was unheard of.
“We didn’t have very many options since it was very taboo in the household,” Resendez said.
Resendez and Davila established the company at the beginning of the pandemic, deciding to focus their business on young adults, especially college students, who they say are among the more sexually active population.
The sole vending machine stands out among the adjacent row of washer and dryers within the University Oaks apartments off UTSA Boulevard.
Behind the glass are multiple racks of products, including morning after pills, condoms, COVID test kits, Tylenol and even batteries.
“We of course started implementing preventive pregnancy items in the machine then Roe v. Wade happened,” Resendez said.
The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade eliminated the right to abortion after almost 50 years of legal protections.
Abortion is banned in Texas except under narrow circumstances to save the pregnant woman’s life.
While Resendez is not 100% on board with abortion, he supports a woman’s right to choose.
He also supports expanding access to emergency contraceptives while promoting privacy, which he valued as critical since not everyone may feel comfortable buying such items at a local convenience store.
“I think it’s important that our youth is informed that there are additional alternatives to abortion and to utilize those resources and putting yourself in a situation to decide whether you need an abortion or not,” Resendez said.
BB&E Vending Company plans to coordinate with UTSA to see if they can install the health and wellness vending machines on campus.
George Washington and Boston universities have implemented contraceptive-dispensing vending machines as a result of student-led initiatives.