<p>"Paula Tran, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, relies on her school's health center for affordable birth control pills. Even though she doesn't have insurance, she bought a year supply from the clinic for only $7 per pack last fall. But when she goes back for more this September, she'll be hit with a bill five times that amount, something she says will definitely affect her spending. "It will cut into the kinds of notebooks I buy to the kind of groceries I get to the cable package that I order," she says.</p>
<p>For decades college campus health centers have been a resource for budget-conscious female students seeking birth control. Because of agreements with pharmaceutical companies, most campus clinics were able to distribute brand name prescription contraceptives, from pills to the patch to a monthly vaginal device like NuvaRing, for no more than a couple of bucks. </p>
<p>That all ended earlier this year. Health experts say the price bump for college students was inadvertent a byproduct of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, a federal law that went into effect in January. The law alters how drug makers calculate Medicaid-related rebates paid to states, but it ultimately made it expensive for companies to offer schools such deep discounts on birth control. As a result, brand name prescription prices for campus clinics rose from about the $3 to $10 range per month to the $30 to $50 range. Organon, the maker of Cyclessa and Desogen birth control pills and the NuvaRing, says the company is not happy about having to increase prices for colleges. But Nick Hart, Organon's executive director of contraception, says they were forced to make "a business decision" after the law went into effect.</p>
<p>Although the law has been in place for months, students will start paying more now because stockpiles that let most university health centers delay the price increase ran out in the spring. ..."</p>
<p>This same issue is facing thousands of family planning clinics across the country (not just college health centers). Clinics are facing huge fincancial consequences. Young women and families are facing huge financial, personal and health decisions. "Thank you" W.</p>
<p>Oh give me a break. How much does an aspirin cost? Put it between your knees. She is going to have to cut her cable bill to afford her birth control pills and this is a need the federal government must meet?</p>
<p>Birth control is actually covered by almost all health insurances. It could be a big financial hit for some people and discourage young girls from going to their college health center to get a second form of birth control for free.</p>
<p>The main problem I see is that some girls will inevitably, when faced with notifying/billing their parents, forgo birth control all together.</p>
<p>And it's actually in the government's interest that the teen pregnancy rate goes down. More babies to young mothers tends to mean more individuals on welfare.</p>
<p>Don't blame W for this one. But you might think about the financial behaviour of the drug companies that make these things. But that's a separate topic.</p>
<p>I also wonder why the ACHA is so quick to criticize generic contraceptives?</p>
<p>[higherlead, what does your comment add to this discussion, other than to show your ignorance?]</p>
<p>I don't know any insurance plans that cover birth control, so paying full price is definitely an issue.</p>
<p>OTOH, The "cable package" comment couldn't have been any more unfortunate; oh, the horror. (I'm sure it is a significant cost for some students, but not one worrying about cable plans.)</p>
<p>Moving beyond the cable comment, this is definitely sad to hear! I know numerous girls at my school who have been relying in the cheap birth control pills. I know very few people who are going to be willing (or financially able) to cough up $50 a month for birth control...I guess they'll resort to condom use or something.</p>
<p>There are a lot of things I wish my tax dollars weren't being spent on (the fiasco in Iraq, in particular) but lower costs for birth control certainly isn't one of them. Anything that will assist in fewer unwanted pregnancies is worth it, in my opinion.</p>
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I don't know any insurance plans that cover birth control, so paying full price is definitely an issue.
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<p>My insurance covers birth control - I work for a small agency, the employees had a lot of say in what got covered. This is bad news for young women who are trying to be responsible, especially those who might not get support from their parents for wanting to use birth control.</p>
<p>My D has been on birth control for 3 years to control her menstrual cycle, which used to last for almost 2 weeks and caused her to be really ill for at least 3 days a month (vomiting, fainting, extreme cramps).</p>
<p>I think that birth control pills are unhealthy. Yes, I'm sure it's been tested. But it can't be good to flood your body with progesterone day after day, month after month, year after year.</p>
<p>lskinner, like alwaysmom said, sometimes birth control is used to control crazy menstrual cycles (happened to both my sisters). in these cases, using a diaphragm isn't really an option.</p>
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lskinner, like alwaysmom said, sometimes birth control is used to control crazy menstrual cycles (happened to both my sisters). in these cases, using a diaphragm isn't really an option.
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<p>That certainly may be. One always needs to weigh the risks and benefits. </p>
<p>My best buddy from high school feels that birth control pills, in the long run, undermine a woman's fertility. I don't know if this has been studied scientifically.</p>
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My best buddy from high school feels that birth control pills, in the long run, undermine a woman's fertility. I don't know if this has been studied scientifically.
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Of course it has been studied, and there is absolutely no evidence that it does. And actually birth control pills are not "unhealthy." There are some risks and side effects associated with their use, but there also are health benefits that go beyond prevention of unwanted pregnancies (which is a HUGE benefit all by itself, and, among other things, saves a lot of money both for the individuals and for the society...)</p>
<p>Lskinner - it has been studied scientifically. And I don't believe most studies have found any conclusive negative side effects to fertility resulting from long term use of birth control pills.</p>
<p>Besides, I think the much more serious implications of the rise in price BC pills is the increased difficulty individuals will have in obtaining them. As though it wasn't hard enough for girls from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds to obtain contraceptives in the first place, now it will be that much more difficult. I think we, as a country, should be doing all we can to encourage safe sex practices.</p>
<p>Besides the fact that with teen pregnancies on the rise (at least in my area), any "savings" by not subsidizing birth control is no savings at all. Taxpayers in the end will just pay more money to support to health care of the mother and child (odds are if she can't afford a $50 prescription, she's not going to be able to pay her medical bills or provide for her child either).</p>
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obviously, what you say about benefits is only true if you don't believe that birth control is immoral
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Not at all. There are other reasons for taking BCPs that have nothing to do with contraception (though most common use, obviously, is for birth control)
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Women using the pill tend to have less bleeding and fewer cramps during their monthly periods. Some advantages of regular periods include a decrease in: midcycle pain, iron deficiency anemia, certain types of migraine headaches, and pre-menstrual tension syndrome (PMS). </p>
<p>Birth control pills can provide relief from acne and facial hair.</p>
<p>Studies show that by regulating hormones, the pill can help prevent osteoporosis.</p>
<p>Studies show that using the pill over a period of time may decrease the chance of cancer of the ovaries by 40% to 60% and cancer of the womb by 50%.