College contraception costs rising

Brian McNeill / Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: March 14, 2008

A pile of 28 boxes of Kraft mac-and-cheese and 66 pouches of Ramen noodles sat atop a table on the Lawn at the University of Virginia on Thursday, signifying the $42 it can cost many college women in Virginia to buy a month's supply of birth control pills.

"We thought we should put it in terms that the average college student could understand," said Sarah Benckart, a fourth-year student. "I actually didn't spend the full $42. If I had, I would've cleared out all the Ramen noodles at Harris Teeter."

Benckart is president of UVa's chapter of Vox: Voices for Change, an on-campus advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood. Benckart and her fellow advocates were decrying what they consider unaffordable prices for contraceptives at student health centers - potentially leading to unwanted pregnancies among college students.

"It's especially important for college students to have easy access to affordable birth control because we're on a very limited budget," she said.

Until early last year, college student health centers and "safety net" providers such as Planned Parenthood were able to dole out birth control for just a few dollars. But the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 eliminated that discount at 1,370 colleges and universities around the nation.

At Virginia Tech, the price tag of some methods of contraception has tripled since the change went into effect. At George Mason University, the health center had to revise which types of birth control it offered, leading to additional follow-up appointments and other costs, according to Planned Parenthood.

UVa was not affected by the legislative change because the Elson Student Health Center partners with the university's hospital, giving it greater access to cheaper generic drugs. Contraceptives at UVa cost between $20 and $35 for generic birth control pills, while name-brand contraceptives, such as Yaz and NuvaRing, cost between $50 and $65. "Our prices have only gone up $4 or $5 since the law changed," said Marie Bailey, a pharmacist at the student health center.

At colleges and universities without an affiliation with a hospital, the on-campus pharmacies must purchase the pills directly from distributors or the pharmaceutical companies, generally leading to higher prices.

Slightly more than one-third of the nation's college women take birth control pills, according to a fall 2006 survey conducted by the American College Health Association. The same survey found that 67.2 percent of college students had at least one sexual partner within the previous 12 months.

"Birth control is really fundamental," said Matt Tirrigan, a UVa facilities management employee and a member of Vox. "Everyone wants to prevent unintended pregnancies. This should be something that everyone can agree on. It's basic. And it's not just about sex. People use it to treat acne or because they have an irregular menstrual cycle. I actually knew a nun who used it."

Stephanie Grebas, a UVa student and member of the pro-life Hoos for Life, said her organization is opposed to abortion, but has no position on "non-abortive methods of family planning."

The UVa members of Vox want Virginia's congressional delegation to support a bill called the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, which would establish Medicaid discount drug prices for campus health centers and safety net providers. On Thursday, they offered chocolate chip cookies to anyone who promised to write U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, R-Alexandria, who they believe is a key swing vote on the issue.

Warner, 7th District Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-Henrico, and 5th District Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount, all of whom voted in favor of the bill that eliminated the subsidies for campus birth control, did not return telephone calls for comment Thursday.