Insure the Pill — Investing in the Future of Contraceptives
- Momoko Monzur
- Apr 6
- 3 min read
Introduction
Contraceptives, though at the center of waging political war, do not serve as a political device by nature. Rather, they take on the form of medical devices that act to prevent pregnancy (1). There are many options, with many ways to use them and varying levels of effectiveness. Contraceptives are typically used when someone does not find themselves able to have a child due to their financial, mental, or environmental situations. Contraceptives like birth control and emergency contraceptive pills (or plan-B) can be taken orally, while implants, sterilization, or vasectomy must be done by a surgical procedure or a shot (1). There are many ways to have a contraceptive, making the range accessible to many personal situations.
A large blockade to fully ensure the access to contraceptives is the price point. Depending on the type of procedure, the price point can reach up to $1,300 (2). For those who may need to decide between other basic needs or medicine, this price point can already become a dealbreaker. More effective forms of contraception can be priced up to increasingly astronomical amounts, giving people less choices to access quality care.
Historically, these contraceptives have been pivotal in preventing unwanted pregnancies, which are related to ill-health and higher mortality rates (3). Access to contraception should be prioritized in economic and policy goals to reduce the life-or-death questions that women have across the world. This only increases the need to make contraceptives as accessible as possible by putting more financial efforts towards these life-saving devices.
What Investment Looks Like for America’s Current Healthcare Structure
In a country with a reality that faces steeper financial blockades than others and must utilize insurance for health treatments, America’s first point of investment is clear. Medicaid, for example, expanded their care including their access to contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act. With this expansion of services at Medicaid, birthing rates decreased with underage teens who had access to their parents’ insurance (4). By investing in lowering the cost of contraceptive methods through health insurance, more Americans can have the option to prevent the risk of pregnancy in the situation that they can’t raise a child with the full care that they believe a child is entitled to.
When understanding the purpose of contraceptives as medical devices meant to fulfill its life-saving purposes for all those in need, investing in its access shouldn’t be a second thought. A fulfilling investment in access to contraceptives currently looks to be $53.6 billion dollars (0.011% of the world’s wealth) annually, or $8.56 per person with the outcome looking to be $2.20 reduction for each additional dollar spent on contraceptive services (3). Seeing that the solution is within fiscal reach for international effort, the next big financial, vocal, and social effort of the world’s leaders and citizens should be strongly recommended to be in the investment of contraceptives.
Citations
“Affordable Birth Control That Works for You.” Planned Parenthood,
services/birth-control. Accessed 3 April 2026.
Contraception - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.” NCBI,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536949/. Accessed 3 April 2026.
“Greater Investments Needed to Meet Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs in Developing Regions.” Guttmacher Institute, 29 June 2017,
womens-sexual-and-reproductive-health-needs. Accessed 3 April 2026.
Rosenberg, Sarah. “Subsidizing contraception: Effects on contraceptive coverage,
abortions, and births.” Journal of Health Economics, vol. 106, 2026.
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