Academic

Contraception Is Expensive: Men and the Little Green Ones

By Bridget Crawford

According to this article in the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, the increase in contraceptive costs sold at student health centers on college campuses and some clinics is a “crisis.” David S. Cohen previously blogged about the issue here.

The cost of birth control pills has skyrocketed because the law changed to eliminate the incentive drug companies had to provide colleges with large discounts on some drugs. The News and Observer also report on this issue here.

I had a friend in college whose boyfriend used to take the green (inactive) pills for the seven days of her “off” week. This was his act of solidarity with her, meant to sensitize him to the responsibility of taking a pill at approximately the same time every day and the uncertainties that arise when we ingest synthetic material. It seemed like a progressive experiment at the time. But with the increased costs of oral contraceptives, I’d rather have a partner pay 50% of the cost of the pills, instead of taking the little green ones.

-Bridget Crawford

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on February 18, 2008 (boomark / email).