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Should birth control be free?
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Birth control costs too much

Something so critical to so many people should not cost an arm and a leg.
Birth Control Economics

The Argument

For those with access to insurance, getting birth control is a relatively simple process. However, for those who don't have insurance or have a form that doesn't cover birth control, the expense can be outlandish. The pill can cost anywhere from twenty to eight hundred dollars a year for the average woman. An IUD can be up to $1300.[1] The cheapest method of birth control out of the variety of options are condoms, which also happen to be the least effective with an 85% prevention rate.[2] This cost prevents women from using birth control. Bringing down the price would allow more women to use it, creating healthier and more productive members of society.

Counter arguments

Giving everyone free access to birth control may be cheaper for them, but in the long run it would likely be too costly. Pharmaceutical companies would go out of business as income becomes delayed due to these products being free. Morally it may be beneficial, but economically, it won't.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Birth control costs a lot of money without insurance. [P2] Cost prevents people from using birth control. [P3] Lack of access to birth control prevents many women from having a high quality of life.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] This may be true, but making birth control free is not the answer to this.

References

  1. https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/family-finance/articles/the-cost-of-birth-control
  2. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom/how-effective-are-condoms
This page was last edited on Monday, 26 Oct 2020 at 14:36 UTC

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