“Yes, I have taken them in the past. … I think it’s a very necessary thing for every woman to start feeling better about her ability to take care of herself.”

— Julie Trowbridge, bookstore clerk, New York

“Yes. … You never know what’s going to happen, and you want to be prepared.”

— Kelly Kerr, student, Kansas City, Kan.

“Yes, sir, I would. … I don’t know how to defend myself when it comes to that time; I’d probably just run.”

— Zach Bealer, student, Great Bend

“Yes, I would, because I think it’s good to know how to defend yourself, and if anything were to happen, I would want to be safe rather than sorry.”

— Christina Henning, student, St. Louis