Investing in birth control pays off

Which would you rather pay for? Contraceptives or the welfare of an unplanned child for 18 years?

In the United States, women in the lower class have three times the number of unplanned pregnancies than those in the middle and upper class. This indicates that unplanned children may be more likely to be supported by government-funded programs.

Subsidized contraceptives aren't a free lunch. They are a sound investment that will pay off.

A Brookings Institute paper by Adams Thomas concluded that subsidized contraceptives would cost an estimated annual $235 million, but would lead to an annual $1.32 billion in taxpayer savings.

Contraceptives also provide major health benefits. British medical scientists published results of a 39-year cohort study that found that users of contraceptives were significantly less likely to have ovarian, uterine bowel cancer or melanomas.

Another study found that women on the pill had a slightly higher life expectancy.

There is no economical or medical reason against making birth control pills more accessible and affordable. I do not care too much for paying taxes, but I care for the health and well-being of women in this country.

Claire Nilles

Iowa City