Universities & Birth Control….Educated or Ignorant?

Universities & Birth Control….Supporting "Plan B" over responsible prevention

Can you place a price on responsibility? Apparently, college and university administrations have decided they can and it isn’t cheap. Instead of restoring affordable birth control to college campuses, colleges are offering free "morning-after" pills, known as Plan B.

College administrations, such as Florida State University, which I attended for my undergraduate studies, are vastly aware of the fact that college students are having sex. Instead of ignoring the problem, colleges and universities educate students on safe sex. Free HIV tests on Valentine’s Day, discounted gynecological services at university health centers, free condoms, free Plan B contraceptives and, up until 2007, discounted birth control. While I was at FSU, I was fortunate to still be covered by my parents’ health insurance. Nevertheless, living on a college student’s budget which I funded via my part-time job as a nanny/tutor, I chose to take advantage of the university’s health services; specifically the discounted birth control that was cheaper than the insurance co-payment. My birth control pills only cost $12 a month; a small price to pay to insure against having to deal with an unplanned pregnancy while in college. Discounted birth control was available to college students as a result of the university’s receiving subsidized birth control from pharmaceutical companies.

Now, as a female, unmarried, law student, over the age of 25, and making $12 an hour as a part-time law clerk for the State of Florida, I do not have health insurance. I am ineligible for my parent’s health insurance because I am over 25. The health insurance options offered by my university exceed my financial capacities. But one thing is for sure, I have always done whatever I can do to insure I continue to be on birth control. Since last year that hasn’t been so easy.

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 eliminated $39 billion in spending on federal programs including Medicaid. In turn, Medicaid related rebate calculation was changed; forcing birth control manufacturers to stop offering college and universities discounted birth control. My $20 a month birth control at the university’s pharmacy, almost tripled to $56 a month. Sure that is a small price to pay to be responsible, but how does that factor into a college student’s budget? Considering I already have to pay $1,300 out-of-pocket each semester to cover the increase in tuition from last year’s rates; can’t university’s some how afford to cover the increase in price? Instead, their solution has been to offer Plan B, better known as the “morning-after pill”, for free. What sort of message is that sending to college students?

Why is it that young adults like me, who hope to contribute to our communities as professionals and are making the sacrifice to continue our studies for the better good of society are being punished for being responsible? Instead, colleges are offering the answer to irresponsibility by providing free “morning-after pills” rather than offering subsidized birth control and responsible affordable choices to students.

Responsibility might be priceless but presently it is unaffordable to many college students like me.