Costs of birth control methods
Costs of birth control methods include the cost of:
- Regular visits to your health professional.
- Prescriptions.
- Nonprescription products, such as condoms and spermicides.
- Surgery for tubal ligation or vasectomy (usually a one-time cost).
- Insertion and removal of an IUD.
- Treatment of possible complications.
- Cost of emergency contraception if the method fails.
- Pregnancy if the method fails.
Injections, such as Depo-Provera, may require a larger one-time payment when the injections are given as well as costs for regular visits to your health professional while the method is used. Methods such as birth control pills also require regular visits to your health professional as well as prescriptions each month.
Over time, the higher one-time costs of IUD insertion, hormonal implant, or surgery may be less than the continued costs of buying pills or condoms and spermicide.
Costs of birth control failure. Prenatal care, delivery, and raising a child are more expensive than any of the methods of birth control. Sometimes an unintended pregnancy also has emotional costs for the child and parents. Terminating an unintended pregnancy (abortion) is also expensive.
| Author: | Bets Davis, MFA | Last Updated: May 22, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
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