<p>"You can't express a commitment you haven't made."</p>
<p>I think the definition of commitment is open to interpretation, and probably depends a good deal on the couple. My bf and I have been together for 2 1/2 years - and in my opinion we're "committed". Marriage isn't a prerequisite.</p>
<p>
[quote]
We're talking about campus-supplied birth control. This means college kids. Very few are married.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Graduate students also use campus health services, but this is getting ridiculously far off the point.</p>
<p>Women who use hormonal birth control either do so for medical reasons or because they are being responsible about their sexual life. It's well-understood that no form of barrier or hormonal birth control is 100% effective, and women accept that there are still some risks associated with BC. These prices increases really will put a lot of students into a precarious situation. The prescriptions could jump from $75 for a year's supply to $600. No matter what you use the medication for, that can severely impact daily living. Moreover, the pressure will primarily only impact women, who are only half of the procreative sexual equation. There are men who help pay for the prescriptions, but it's far from the norm.</p>
<p>saying don't have sex unless you don't want to get pregnant more or less ignores the fact that bc greatly undermines the risk of unwanted pregnancy- bc pills are what, like 92-97% effective? condoms when used correctly and consistently are 98% effective? if a couple used both methods, the chances of pregnancy are about 0.0016% even if you say bc pills are only 92% effective. condoms protect against stds and young adults in monagamous, committed relationships prolly on average aren't going to have stds in addition to that. for ex, two virgins who then have sex together.</p>
<p>it's like saying "don't drive to the mall unless you're ready to have an accident" you don't NEED to drive to the mall, and there is a slight chance of having an accident hence you have insurance just in case (similar to the "just in case" of either partner having an std or the female being fertile AND not losing the zygote in the travel to the uterus-as 2/3 of them are)</p>
<p>we're not taking about responsibility issues when a commited couple decides to engage in safe sex. some people are angry that they can't force everyone else to accept their morality. sry, that's life in a pluralistic society facilitated by freedom, liberty, and mutual RESPECT</p>
<p>i'm pretty sure that the pill is more effective in preventing pregnancy than condoms...but it doesn't protect against STDs.</p>
<p>and i agree with everything else passionflower. just because I'm for abstinence until marriage doesn't mean everyone has to be.</p>
<p>Who's advocating abstinence?</p>
<p>someone implied on the other page that kids just shouldn't have sex.</p>
<p>thanks hotpiece- about effectiveness of bc vs condoms, i think it depends on how well the condoms are used. the "normal use" statistics encompass people who don't use them all the time or follow the instructions carefully. also i think it depends on the type of bc.
i rele appreciate the fact that someone who doesn't agree with sex before marriage has the grace to accept it in others.</p>
<p>firewalker- several on the board have advocated abstinence so far. sry if that doesn't address your points- i understood you were more concerned with the affordability of bc rather than its availability to students.</p>
<p>*shrugs (10char)</p>
<p>Srcameron, it's been a pleasure debating you. Thank you for your offer but I'll bow out for now. Although if I'm ever walking the streets of Boston you'll recognize me by the giant "CC" tattoo on my back ;)</p>
<p>Wait, we must agree on something because we have matching tattoos! Haha</p>
<p>
[quote]
You people are all so self-righteous.
[/quote]
Please stay away from personal attacks. They fail to pose an argument and instead only serve to make the attacker seem too weak-minded to engage in logical debate.</p>
<p>firewalker--I am. I would be happy to debate with you.</p>
<p>This is actually something positive for me. Not even as a Christian, I view life as starting from conception, but I am not trying to start an argument. There are some birth control pills that block the sperm from meeting the egg (which I view as not yet life), but then there are some (from a recent article I read) that attack the walls where the baby would live to make the environment unviable for the embryo. I hope this helps women and men make more responsible decisions in using protection</p>
<p>Abstenince? Ha! that works for 4th graders.</p>
<p>See, my current GF and I are super cautious. Even though she's "on the pill," I still use a condom every time. No chance in risking it, eh?</p>
<p>
[quote]
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.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm implying that you're in favor of people illictly having sex so they run the danger of AIDS and infecting other people?
And people shouldn't have sex in college because pair bonding is not encouraged at that stage of life. If a couple has a baby, it's their problem because they could've prevented that from happening.</p>
<p>"I'm implying that you're in favor of people illictly having sex so they run the danger of AIDS and infecting other people?"</p>
<p>Considering the action is between two consenting adults? Come on now.</p>
<p>"And people shouldn't have sex in college because pair bonding is not encouraged at that stage of life."</p>
<p>Because that's a prerequisite to sex?</p>
<p>"If a couple has a baby, it's their problem because they could've prevented that from happening."</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There are some birth control pills that block the sperm from meeting the egg (which I view as not yet life), but then there are some (from a recent article I read) that attack the walls where the baby would live to make the environment unviable for the embryo.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Most hormonal birth control suppresses ovulation, so there's no egg to begin with. No egg, no embryo. The hormones also affect sperm mobility and implantation possibilities, but the first line of defense is still ovulation inhibition.</p>
<p>some condoms arent cheap at all, more than $1 a piece (and no its not some luxury). And they suck...</p>
<p>I was looking forward to buying the gf cheap bc but I guess that isn't happening now...condoms are already $20+ per month.</p>
<p>And to those who say its not perfectly safe - 99.7% is fine. I'll take a <3/1000 chance at spending the $$ for abortion. And the STDs aren't a problem for couples who just ask to be tested.</p>
<p>it's only that effective when used perfectly in lab settings, when it is actually used by the average person right before sex, condoms are only 85% effective. but i'm not advocating against condom use, i'm just saying...</p>
<p>Some solutions -</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Many insurance companies now cover birth control. Illinois and California, I believe require it by law, and there may be other states as well. Most undergrads are covered by their family's health insurance. Do your annual exam at home, covered by insurance, and get a year's prescription from your doctor. It will then be covered by your family's insurance, and no, your family will not be notified in any way (if that's a concern). Sometimes it will only be covered if you get the BC pills through a mail-order company, but that's actually more convenient.</p></li>
<li><p>Consider other methods besides the pill. Some types of BC don't require a monthly prescription. If you aren't taking it for medical reasons, consider an IUD, diaphragm, or Depo-Provera. An IUD needs to be placed and checked every year, which can be done during your annual. A diaphragm can be fitted during your annual and checked every year. Depo-Provera is a shot in the arm four times a year (cost is about $50, which is a third of what the pill is costing now).</p></li>
<li><p>Planned Parenthood. If there is one near you, check them out and ask them about low-income or student birth control. They have sliding scale pay plans, which means you pay what you can afford.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>While abstinence is certainly an option, it's not for everyone. I'd certainly rather pay for subsidized birth control through my taxes than unwanted children and the issues there. And as mollie pointed out, grad students, some married, also use the student health center, and those grad stipends aren't paying for much more than rent and food. We have to be realistic.</p>
<p>"And people shouldn't have sex in college because pair bonding is not encouraged at that stage of life."</p>
<p>hahahahaahahahah</p>
<p>i put that in my aol info</p>
<p>that is some funny ****</p>
<p>keep talking, please.</p>