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Birth Control Prices at US Colleges Skyrocket

Female students may no longer be able to afford the Pill

By Heather McPherson,  Newser User

Posted Jul 26, 2007 1:49 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Many college students may no longer be able to afford birth control come September, thanks to a 2006 bill that discourages drug companies from offering schools deep discounts on contraceptives. The change went into effect this year, but students will feel the crunch only now, as health centers that stocked up on cheap birth control run out, the Journal reports.

As prices skyrocket, from about $20 for a monthly pill or patch prescription to around $50, some students are switching to generics or overcoming their embarrassment and using their parents' insurance. One expert calls the resulting situation a "double-edged sword": Condom use is expected to rise, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy but driving down the STD infection rate.

This is the one thing that many females on campus are getting from student health, said Susan Maly, a 22-year-old student at the University of Iowa. It felt like we were a target.
"This is the one thing that many females on campus are getting from student health," said Susan Maly, a 22-year-old student at the University of Iowa. "It felt like we were a target."   (Shutterstock.com)
Birth-control prices in college and university health centers have sky-rocketed since the Deficit Reduction Act was passed.
Birth-control prices in college and university health centers have sky-rocketed since the Deficit Reduction Act was passed.   (Shutterstock.com)
According to the American College Health Association, about 40% of sexually active college women reported relying on prescription forms of birth control, that have now doubled or tripled in cost.
According to the American College Health Association, about 40% of sexually active college women reported relying on prescription forms of birth control, that have now doubled or tripled in cost.   (Index Open)
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The local view: Ohio students and health centers cope
Dayton Daily News

Student columnist responds
University Wire

 
contraception • pregnancy • pharmaceutical companies • sexual health • birth control • college • condom • contraceptive patch • STD • birth control pill • college student

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