Prices sharply rise this fall for campus-supplied birth control

College Life
61

<p>I think in many ways you misunderstand concepts of the free market.</p>

<p>Competition - pure, unregulated competition - will produce better products with lower prices. What we have is regulated competition, and therefore restricted competition; specifically, "those regulation that protect the status quo" are barriers to entry that keep what could be viable competitors out.
Also, opportunity cost and alternatives are a huge part of economics. You say, </p>

<pre><code> * "Don't the same types of regulations exist for the automobile industry (land, energy, safety regulations, etc.)? And aren't we still able to purchase safe, affordable vehicles?"*
</code></pre>

<p>To answer the latter question, no, becuase your definition of affordable is that everyone can buy them, and there are definitely people who can't afford cars. That's what you want for birth control, for everyone to be able to afford it, right? (correct me if I'm wrong) That's nice, but how much better and more affordable would they be without regulation? YOu have to look at what's sacrificed for the status quo. We have the same types of regulation in the drug industry and, according to you, we are not still able to purchase affordable drugs. </p>

<p>About safe products and affordable products living in the same world, I believe it is possible...given a free marke. The problem is that the government is the one who decides what is "safe," and it had mandatory taxes to sit on if it fails. If the government does a bad job, it doesn't get replaced because it will still have control over what gets in. What would be better is competing businesses who do feedback on products, like Consumer Reports, and therefore have an incentive to be thorough and accurate because their continued surivial depends on the consumers. People can choose which companies they'll trust, or look at feedback from all of them and make informed decisions. </p>

<p>You want checks and balances in the free market? That's what it's all about (you put your right hand in, you put your right hand out...) The free market communicates mainly through prices - you don't have to know there's a farmer strike in Cali and supply is going down, you see that the price of milk is going up and you act accordingly. You go to a bad restaurant, you never go there again, they lose your business and everyone else's who goes there, and they go bankrupt. Or, you never went there in a first place b/c multiple people have founded businesses that inspects restaurants and publish thier findings. Why did they found those businesses in the first place? Partly becuase they know they could make a living off of it, or maybe b/c they want to serve humanity. </p>

<p>Go ahead and have at me one more time (or two, if I can't resist responding), but we are getting a little off track and I would like to get back to birth control. Maybe we can start a separate thread on this topic and argue econ so long that we'll actually start thinking economist jokes are funny.</p>

62

<p>Why is self-control unrealistic? Someone stated that we who are proponents of abstinence are simply unable to obtain that which we decry. Though this is incorrect, such personal attacks are irrelevant. Premarital sexual activity carries risks that cannot be completely nullified by the use of birth control. Birth control only reduces these risks. While it is indeed safer to use birth control than to use nothing at all, it is a far, far better thing to put off sex altogether until one is one of two. Indeed, the benefits extend beyond physical health. I quote from the following article: <a href="http://www.waynegov.com/departments/health/thursday/2006/TAjan92006NewsArgus.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.waynegov.com/departments/health/thursday/2006/TAjan92006NewsArgus.asp&lt;/a>

[quote]

Abstaining from sex until one marries is an act of self - preservation and self- control. It is proof that a person is mature enough to refrain from a behavior that leads to many unwanted consequences. Learning to avoid negative behavior is the beginning of adulthood, regardless of the behavior. From an early age, adolescents and teens can begin to show signs of maturity by making honest and wise decisions regarding their bodies. It is much easier to do what everyone else is doing but by not following the crowd is a sign that a person is beginning to make choices based on their individual needs. Sexual abstinence does not have to be a thing of the past but can be a part of our present and future. Abstinence before marriage is also proven to decrease divorce rates and to improve marital happiness when both partners abstained from sexual practices before marrying. Making a decision to marry is not a matter to take lightly but one of great thought and consideration. Marriage may not be for everyone but researchers are finding that people who are married are happier and healthier than their non-married peers. Furthermore, research conducted at the University of Colorado indicates that “compared with those who are not married, married individuals eat better, take better care of themselves, and live a more stable, secure and scheduled lifestyle.” Marriage is a consensual act between two people who feel that they want to join together and continue life. Glenn T. Stanton at family.org in “Why Marriage Matters for Adults,” spells out research findings and references supporting the belief that marriage actually makes people happier. One benefit to abstaining from sexual behavior before marriage is to protect the future relationship you will share with your mate.

[/quote]

I am a college student, and I stand for abstinence.</p>

63

<p>Even if you're married, and I think everyone agrees that sex is acceptable within marriage, there are other ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies, such as timing it right by observing signs of fertility, which is a more naturally biological approach. It's not as dummy proof as drugs (which are not all that dummy proof to begin with) since it does involve education as to what are signs of fertility and a deeper-than-general understanding of the reproductive system.</p>

64

<p>I'm not saying girls shouldn't have sex, I'm saying they should stop *****ing about their self-induced problems.</p>

65

<p>I'm completely for abstinence until marriage, but some people (A LOT) don't agree and therefore will have premarital sex. And, it is much less costly to just use birth control than to have an unwanted child.</p>

66

<p>"Who cares? People need to learn how to be responsible. Just in case you didn't notice, sex has consequences."</p>

<p>Oh the ignorance of this statement. What about girls who use birth control pills to regulate their menstrual cycles? Should they suffer just so those who choose to have sex can deal with the consequences? Or better yet, maybe we should get rid of all aids medication, so those who have aids can deal with the consequences of their actions. No more cold medicine either; you caught the cold, time to deal with the consequences.</p>

67

<p>I agree with many others who have posted in support of affordable birth control. The positive benefits go beyond pregnancy prevention--which isn't always the primary purpose for using the prescriptions--and include ensuring that women go to the doctor regularly for routine exams that catch early signs of cervical cancer and other health problems. For anyone who hasn't had a pelvic exam ... it's not something most women would voluntarily go in for. The longer these health problems go undetected, the more difficult and expensive they are to treat.</p>

<p>And, for those who are recommending abstinence, I'll reiterate the point that married couples also use birth control. Marriage doesn't automatically indicate preparedness (or desire) for children. And, yes, plenty of students are married--especially graduate students. You can't divide students by their social status and say that some will get affordable medicine while others won't. Birth control is not always a luxury prescription; it also helps ameliorate problems with dysmenorrhea and other highly disruptive, painful menstrual problems.</p>

68

<p>^^^^ did someone really recommend timing as a method of birth control? you gotta be effin' kidding me, go ahead and try that bro, have 8 kids. This isn't the middle ages.</p>

<p>so people have sex, big deal, it's not a moral issue, it's a natural act. do it responsibly, do it safely, give people the right and the easy access to do contraceptives---and the education to properly guide them, and it can be a wonderful, fun thing to do.</p>

<p>hopefully the prices go down, cause anyone who needs bc should have access to it.</p>

69

<p>The problem is that people can't remain chaste for very long..</p>

70

<p>You people are all so self-righteous. </p>

<p>"I am a college student and I stand for abstinence." </p>

<p>Well good for you! Do you feel the need to force you own personal preferences down other people's throats? Many, many people in committed, loving relationships, are simply not at the right time in their lives to consider having children. Give me one good reason why they shouldn't have sex. And 'because it's wrong,' doesn't count, because not everyone lives according to your religious (and might I add, puritanical) beliefs.</p>

71

<p>We're talking about campus-supplied birth control. This means college kids. Very few are married.</p>

<p>Just use condoms or don't bang at all. Most kids are too damn immature to deal with the alternative.</p>

72

<p>Are condoms actually reliable? Do they work?</p>

73

<p>^ Yeah, they do. They are so reliable that you can fit one around your entire head so you can suffocate yourself!</p>

<p>EDIT: I don't know if you were seriously inquiring as to the reliability of condoms or whether you were trolling me. Either way, follow my instruction.</p>

74

<p>I was being serious. </p>

<p>People tell me they don't always work so the best way to be safe is by abstinence.</p>

75

<p>"What about girls who use birth control pills to regulate their menstrual cycles? Should they suffer just so those who choose to have sex can deal with the consequences?"</p>

<p>I never advocated an end to distribution of the pill.</p>

<p>"Or better yet, maybe we should get rid of all aids medication, so those who have aids can deal with the consequences of their actions. No more cold medicine either; you caught the cold, time to deal with the consequences."</p>

<p>See above statement.</p>

76

<p>::People tell me they don't always work so the best way to be safe is by abstinence.::</p>

<p>Right ... or by using hormonal bc, or BOTH, which many people do in order to be very safe. Just because you have some moral issue with premarital, non-baby-producing sex, doesn't mean other people shouldn't express their sexuality and be happy with it.</p>

77

<p>The bottom line is:</p>

<p>Sex has consequences. Purchasing birth control is one of them. I'm assuming most college females don't want kids, and use birth control specifically for that purpose.</p>

<p>You don't see me *<strong><em>ing about paying social security tax, do you? I chose to hold a job for cash, and the government takes a portion out of each and every paycheck. I could *</em></strong> about having to pay them, but that is just one consequence of being able to pay for things you want.</p>

78

<p>
[quote]
Right ... or by using hormonal bc, or BOTH, which many people do in order to be very safe. Just because you have some moral issue with premarital, non-baby-producing sex, doesn't mean other people shouldn't express their sexuality and be happy with it.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm not worried about the hormonal BC part. That's for her to worry about. :)</p>

79

<p>Spooch, I think we've both made some valid points. I think the difference is that I don't have a lot of faith in a free-market economy to protect the rights and needs of the consumer, and I'm definitely more in favor of regulations to control prices than a laissez-faire "let the market regulate itself" line of thinking. You seem to be on the other side of the coin, and I can agree to disagree for the sake of remaining on topic. Though I could send you my email though pm if you'd like to continue.</p>

80

<p>Sex is an expression of love and commitment. You can't express a commitment you haven't made.</p>