“Plan B” should not be the plan.

Paula Tran, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, depended on her school’s health center for affordable birth control. During her junior year, because she didn’t have health insurance, she stocked up on a year supply from the school clinic, paying a low $7 for a month’s supply. When Ms. Tran returned for her senior year in September, her $7 a month birth control skyrocketed to $35 a month, which Ms. Tran admits will definitely affect her spending. “It will cut into the kinds of notebooks I buy to the kind of groceries I get to the cable package that I order,” says Tran. While Ms. Tran has decided to pay the increased price for her birth control, many students are seeking out less expensive options. Unfortunately, that option is Plan B, better known as the “morning after” pill, rather than preventing pregnancy with birth control.

“Some have stopped already and are taking stock in Plan B and having that around because they don’t have regular intercourse”, says Ms. Tran with regards to some of her friends who refuse to talk to their parents about their sexual activity and can’t use their health insurance to cover the price increase of birth control. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive used after sex in case the unexpected happens. It can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, contraceptive failure, or sexual assault. When taken with 72 hours of sexual intercourse, Plan B reduces the chance of pregnancy by 89%. Plan B is not an abortion pill, yet it is intended to be used as a back-up plan, rather than a means of preventing pregnancy like birth control.

Following the effect of the Deficit Reduction Act and the price increases of birth control on college campuses, companies have seen an increase in Plan B. Barr Pharmaceuticals’, the makers of Plan B, sales have doubled following the Deficit Reduction Act going into effect. College pharmacists, who previously sold Plan B mainly on Mondays, have notice that students are purchasing Plan B every day.

Aside from Plan B being a retroactive solution to unwanted pregnancy rather than a preventive measure, it also has other detrimental effects to women’s health. Although there is no physical harm involved in using Plan B, because Plan B can be readily obtained by simply requesting it without a prescription or seeing a health care professional, students will be missing out on annual gynecological exams required when using regular contraceptive prescription as well as menstrual cycle regulation, a benefit of prescription contraceptives.

While birth control price increased as a result of the Deficit Reduction Act, many universities have responded by offering Plan B for free. What sort of message is this sending out to students? Universities seem to be promoting retroactive solutions to irresponsible students engaging in unprotected sex rather than facilitate access to affordable birth control options to students who rather be responsible.

Aside from raising prices, it appears that the Deficit Reduction Act has also promoted irresponsibility, co-sponsored by universities. It’s an unfortunate result to an unfortunate mistake. By how are universities assisting the matter by facilitating additional “mistakes” to occur by students having unprotected sex and offering them a solution, rather than preventing the mistakes from happening. “Plan B” should not be the plan.

The Prevention Through Access Act – No-Cost Solution to a Costly Congressional Mistake

The restoration of affordable birth control is feasible, not to mention, a no-cost solution to Congress’s accidental elimination of accessible, affordable birth control for millions of women across the country. While Congress’s mistake is costing women throughout America a lot of money, the solution doesn’t cost a penny, aside from the effort needed to push a bill proposing a solution through Congress. Luckily, Congress is taking note of this problem and interestingly enough, the issue’s solution seems to be in closer reach following the 2008 presidential election.

In November 2007, President-Elect, Senator Barack Obama introduced the bi-partisan Prevention through Affordable Access Act which would allow college students and young women to access affordable contraceptive drugs. A companion bill was also introduced in the House by Representative Crowley. Unfortunately, nothing happened with the bill and the price of birth control has continued to soar. I have contacted my local Congressional representatives as well as President-Elect Obama, via Obama’s website, discussing the further need for Obama to place the Prevention Through Access Act and restoration of affordable birth control on his “Change” agenda. Considering a bill has been introduced, we have to contact our local representatives to insure that the bill continues to gain support and eventually become law.
It's time to take action and urge our members of Congress to restore affordable birth control prices to college health centers and other trusted family planning providers. Birth control is basic health care; therefore, a woman's option to use contraception to prevent an unintended pregnancy should not be based on her socio-economic status.

The American College Health Association (ACHA) found that 39% of undergraduate women use oral contraceptives. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, prescription birth control, including the pill, can be 95% to 99.9% effective in preventing pregnancy.

Birth control options, such as “the pill”, serve purposes aside from simply preventing pregnancy. Oral contraceptive pills are also an accepted treatment for irregular or absent menstrual periods, menstrual cramps, acne, PMS, endometriosis, and hormone replacement therapy. For example, girls diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which causes a hormone imbalance resulting in irregular menstrual periods, acne, and excess hair growth, are prescribed oral contraceptives to lower their hormone levels back to normal and regulate menstrual periods.

Awareness to these alternate uses of birth control can quickly silence those individuals whose reaction to the effort to restore affordable birth control has simply been “If you don’t want to get pregnant, don’t have sex.” Solutions proposed by those in opposition of the bill are blinded by unrealistic views, that need not be corrected, but rather deserve an informed response – and if that response is a free solution to this problem, why should those individual’s opinions stop women from having options and access to affordable birth control?

Realistically, not only do unmarried college females rely on birth control, but so do married female students. Some of those married students might not have insurance and have to rely on access to affordable birth control. The simple “don’t have sex” solution might seem like a solution. Not every married couple wants to have children – so why shouldn’t these women, regardless of their social economic status, have access to affordable birth control? The answer is they should.

Luckily, President-Elect Obama has taken note of this situations and the need to restore affordable birth control. Hopefully, the efforts will be success and women can continue to make responsible choices, regardless of their social economic status and others unrealistic opposing solutions.

What Now? Take action & don’t allow the Government to control your Birth Control options

After standing in line for four hours to early vote at the City of Miami City Hall in Coconut Grove, Florida on a Sunday afternoon, I truly came to realize that you must take matters into your owns hands and truly put in the effort in order to be heard. Situations are not going to change unless people make an effort to change them. Consequently, it’s essential that students, like me, get the word out regarding to need to restore affordable and accessible birth control on college campuses and take action.

Considering the government’s non-responsive attitude following its unintentional subsidization of college students’ sex lives and disregard for the constitutional implications with regards to privacy involved and a student’s sex life, more specifically someone’s contraceptive choices, changing this situation lies in our hands.

Bearing in mind that the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 has already been passed and many politicians and college administrators accepting that it “inadvertently” caused birth control prices to rise on college and university campuses – why isn’t the government doing something to help out with this obvious mistake? Rather than sit around waiting for the government to step back from our personal lives by raising the cost of our contraceptive choices and making responsible choices harder to access – it’s in our hands, as those effected by their mistake, to spread the word about restoring affordable/accessible birth control to college campuses and take back our right to accessible and affordable birth control without having to break our “purses” and/or our wallets.

I researched a few options which have come to light thanks to other groups banding together and associations bringing this problem to light. Are you a member of a group at your university? Do you have time stand in your school’s student union? Have a moment to meet with your school’s administration? If I told you it would save you money, would you be more apt to taking action? Small steps can assist female college students in restoring affordable birth control on America’s campuses.

Petitions

Circulating a petition, like the one below, compliments of the Feminist Majority Foundation, who is extremely zealous in advocating female reproductive rights and issues, as well as fostering campus groups to further their message, is just one simple way to get the ball rolling and get the message across on your campus.

http://www.feministcampus.org/act/birthcontrol/BC%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Once you get the signatures you need, present this petition to your school's administration, local political representatives, school pharmacy and/or any one else who can be helpful in restoring affordable birth control to your college campus, as well as other college campuses.

Meet with Pharmacy/School Administration

You can discuss and present the issue to your college administrators and/or the pharmacy administration at your school. You can discuss resolutions to this problem, but at least present a temporary solution which might assist college females in accessing affordable birth control. Contact local Planned Parenthood offices and/or community health centers that might offer discounted birth control to local residents. You can put together an informational sheet to distribute on your own to students, email out to your fellow students and/or request that the pharmacy inform students that there are affordable alternatives via the information you compiled in your informational sheet. This is a low cost and informative way to make a difference – not to mention you learn the information for yourself therefore help yourself out while helping others.

Generic Options

Several pharmaceutical companies carry less expensive generic versions of popular birth control options, such as “the pill”. Remember to consult your doctor prior to making a switch in your birth control. Many females are placed on certain birth control options with lower doses of hormones as a result of their gynecological history and/or family history. This option might not be available to some of us, like myself, who must use the lowest dose of hormone in birth control presently available, i.e. Nuvaring a/ka “the ring”. Upon consulting the situation with your doctor, you may able to switch to a generic version of your birth control, which can lower the monthly cost.

Drugstore.com presently offers information regarding the generic options available for certain birth control simultaneously with the brand-name option. It also gives you information regarding the differences between the brand-name and generic options for your reading pleasure. Check it out: http://www.drugstore.com/pharmacy/prices/drugprice.asp?ndc=00062190315&trx=1Z5006

Wal-mart also carries Sprintec, the generic birth control options for $9 for a month’s supply - http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list.pdf

Whether you decide to help yourself by choosing a lower cost option for birth control or do your part to contribute to the effort of restoring affordable and accessible birth control options to college campuses – please take action.

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.