Perks of Having a Penis: The inequality of payment for the pills

Do you use birth control, specificlly the pill?

How much do you pay for it?

Does your insurance cover it?

I actually don't use it but I have a ton of friends who do. It costs them anywhere from 15 to 80 dollars - PER MONTH!?! That is outrageous.



They use it for a ton of reasons beyond simply preventing pregnancy. They use it to treat thier skin, control their cycle, reduce cramps, increase their iron, etc. The Center for Young Women's Health has a complete list medicinal uses of the pill. And, check this out.

Seems like insurance companies should cover it, right? Sadly, many do not.

That may make you mad, but I believethis should really make you MAD: many, if not most of insurance companies - that aren't paying for your birth control - cover Viagra which has no medicinal purpose other than treating erectile disfunction.

ABC did a story on it called "Erections get insurance; Why not the pill?" It says, "" When it comes to health insurance, men have been getting a better deal.' Studies have shown that women of reproductive age spend about two-thirds more than men on out-of-pocket health-care costs. Birth control and reproductive health-care services are believed to account for much of the difference."

Why is this!?! With all the controversy over health care lately, why don't we, as women, stand up and DEMAND this coverage?

The article goes on to explain that "Women's activists say they cannot understand why, given what they see as the 'cost-effectiveness' of birth control, employers and insurers wouldn't jump to cover it. They point to studies that found for every $1 of public funds invested in family planning, $4 to $14 of public funds is saved in pregnancy and health care-related costs. 'Insurance companies have got to realize there's no financial disincentive,' Feldt said. '[Covering contraception] saves so much on the other end. Over the long term, contraception coverage seems to save money.'"


South Carolina doesn't require that the insurance company help or fully cover the pill for women.

Find out if your state does and if they don't call your insurance provider or your local representative and let them know they SHOULD...