While 77 percent of women who are financially worse off this year say they can’t afford to have a baby right now, only 39 percent of them say they are taking precautions to use contraception every time they have sex.
This group of women includes those who are earning less, lost a job, lost health insurance, or collected unemployment benefits in the last year.
These findings come from a report from the Guttmacher Institute that looks at the recession’s impact on women’s family planning and pregnancy decisions. Nearly half of the 900+ women ages 18 to 34 surveyed in July and August 2009 report that they want to limit the number of children they have or delay pregnancy due to the bad economy.
A gap between actions and intentions
Women coping with financial stress don’t always make the smartest family planning decisions. To save money, women say they have delayed getting pill prescriptions filled or skipped taking pills.
While most women (64%) agree that with the economy in the doldrums, they can’t afford to have a baby right now, it’s hard for many to cover the cost of birth control and related care.
Nearly 1 in 4 women report have put off a gynecological or birth control visit to save money in the past year. Nearly 1 in 3 (30 percent) of the worse off have skipped these services.
“Think long and hard about short-term savings vs. long-term consequences,” says Laura Lindberg, senior research associate at the Guttmacher Institute and lead researcher on the report. “Money saved today on birth control could cost much more down the road.”
Options for women who want birth control, but think they can’t afford it
For women who want to avoid unwanted children, here is some advice from Lindberg:
- Consider generic contraception, which may be less expensive.
- Check your insurance coverage. In recent years, insurance plans have expanded coverage of contraception. Your plan may cover more than you thought.
- Consider methods such as intrauterine devices, which can cost as little as a $20 copay, and may last as long as five years.
- You may qualify for free and reduced cost services. Subsidized family planning is available at local family planning clinics across the country.
- Finally, ask your partner to help pay for contraception.
“In the end,” says Lindberg, the best method for any woman is the one she will use consistently and correctly.”
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