The Right Birth Control for You

Of course, before you can determine the costs of birth control, you need to pick which method that is going to best fit your needs. On their website, Planned Parenthood has tools to help you determine which type is right for you.  Depending on which form you choose, some of them are only available by prescription and require a medical exam to obtain, thus adding extra expense.  Others you can pick up at your drugstore without a prescription. Here is a break down of the out of pocket costs associated with some of the most popular forms of birth control:

Pills – Medical Exam ($35-$250) plus $15-$80 per month for pills

Patch – Medical Exam ($35-$250) plus $15-$50 per month

Vaginal Ring – Med Exam ($35-$250) plus $15-$50 per month

Shot – Medical exam plus $35-$75 per shot (lasts 3 months)

Implant – Exam plus $400-$800 upfront (lasts 3 years)

Sponge – No exam needed – $9-$15 for 3

Diaphragm – Exam ($35-250) plus $15-75 cost (lasts 2 years) plus spermicidal jelly ($8-$17 per tube)

IUD – For exam and procedure it is $175-$650 upfront but lasts 5-12 years

Condoms – no prescription needed, about $1 per. Many clinics also provide them for free.

None of the above forms of birth control are guaranteed 100% effective.  You must follow the recommended directions for the most effective results.  Keep in mind, that only condoms can help to protect against sexually transmitted infections.

As you can see from the list above, the best things in life aren’t always free! Fab & Fru wants to know – do you split the costs of birth control with your partner?  Are you more apt to do so due to the recession? Or has the topic never come up?  How is the recession affecting your reproductive choices?

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