Amidst all the hoopla about birth control access in the media recently, the Huffington Post reported that some people have resorted to buying their prescription birth control off of Craigslist: “The online marketplace is filled with ads for discounted birth control, including many types of contraceptive pills as well as the NuvaRing…Lisa sold her two unopened packages of the NuvaRing for $75 earlier this week. Without insurance, each one can cost as much as $80.”
You know, I almost don’t hate this. Women, sick of seeing their reproductive independence held financially out of their reach, helping each other out by selling their extra birth control online. A mini-black market rising in response to a failure of the system to meet their needs.
Ultimately, of course, this is very dangerous; if you are a buyer, then you don’t know if the medication you purchase has been tampered with, or left in extreme heat and no longer effective, for example. If you are a seller, you don’t know if the person to whom you are selling the medication has medical conditions that could make the pill unsafe for them, and who’s to say you won’t be held liable?
Selling birth control through Craigslist is illegal, though to my knowledge no one has been prosecuted. And I sincerely hope no one is, because it isn’t their fault. If women have to resort to buying birth control through Craigslist of all places, is that not a sure sign that our current healthcare system is failing women in a major way?
President Obama’s healthcare plan will make birth control more accessible for millions of women…unless he’s voted out with this election, in which case all of his healthcare plans will surely be thrown out. But hey, maybe politicians in this country will stop pretending that birth control is controversial or immoral and stop attacking women’s sexual health for the sake of distracting us all from the real issues! But until hell freezes over, you can try your local health department, free clinic, or your friendly Planned Parenthood for affordable birth control.
Feronians, have you ever had to obtain your birth control through not-so-legit methods? Would you buy your birth control through Craigslist?
CORRECTION: Even with insurance, my cost for NuvaRing is $98 each! I’m looking on Craigslist and here…e-mail me if you have access! Thanks!!!
Lily, do not buy birth control in Craig’s List, especially the Nuva Ring. It could have been tampered with (for example: left in the heat), making it less effective and you’d never know. Try your local Planned Parenthood. They’ll be cheaper than $98 for sure!
Pingback: My NuvaRing Is So Expensive I'm About To Buy It On The Black Market