WHO’S PAYING FOR SEX, THEN?
We’re not talking about prostitution here, just the prohibitive cost of contraception. The fact is that gratis contraception would probably save the State a lot of money in the long run – so let’s hear it for free sex…
Anne Sexton, 18 Sep 2009
I was broke. Well, perhaps not totally broke – it was more of a cash-flow crisis. Bills had come in, but cheques had not and the recession was starting to pinch in the Sexton household. I needed all the spare cash I could lay my hands on for my holiday; unfortunately I also needed the pill.
I don’t know about you lot, but it grates with me, having to pay sixty quid to the doctor to get my contraception. You don’t need a degree to ask someone how she is feeling and to check her blood pressure. My doctor is reasonably understanding about this, and he will renew my six months prescription once without seeing me; and I’m canny enough to ask for a new one if ever I pop in to see him for anything else. But in the last year or so I’ve been as healthy as a prize-winning horse. This meant an appointment was due, and as my funds were earmarked for other purposes I was loath to pay for it.
The thought crossed my mind – fug it, I’ve got condoms. After all, I always use them anyway. Condoms, when used correctly, prevent pregnancy about 98 percent of the time. Used incorrectly, or sporadically, and condom failure rate jumps to between ten and fifteen percent.
Luckily, a more sensible realisation prevailed – I was going to be on holiday, during which I would be off at a four-day festival in the bush. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that a festival, camping and alcohol wasn’t exactly the ideal situation for my Pleasuremax to be performing at their peak. So, the pill it was…
If you are not a student, the cheapest way to get the pill – at least as far as I could ascertain, and I spent ages looking – is to visit your local Irish Family Planning Association clinic. The IFPA charges €47 for a consultation and the pill itself is available at a reduced cost – depending on what you are taking, it can be as little as €5 per packet. This is cheaper than the doctor, but not by a whole lot. Which led me to wondering just how much the relatively high cost of contraception affects the number of crisis pregnancies in Ireland each year.
Page 1/4 <Previous 1 2 3 4 Next>
©Hot Press 2011. Why be a member? | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy