birth controlLast week I posted about how the recession may be causing some women to switch to less expensive, less reliable methods of birth control—thereby increasing the number of unintended pregnancies. After reading some of your "pull and pray" comments suggesting that this info was, in fact, true, I decided to do a bit of detective work to determine how you might be able to save some money on birth control.

Here are some resources that might be helpful in obtaining less expensive birth control. (As always, consult your health care provider about adding or changing a method of birth control.):

  • County Health Departments: Many counties offer health services for people who have lost their job and/or health insurance—it's just a matter of tapping into them. Google your local county health department, and register with them to see if they offer any programs for discount prescriptions.
  • Planned Parenthood: These community health centers strive to make health care (including birth control) affordable to all. Services and costs vary by location so visit the official Planned Parenthood Web site to get connected with your local center. The site also has a My Method widget to help you find birth control methods that might be right for you by answering a series of simple questions, including how important cost is to you when choosing a method.
  • Walgreens: The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club can provide savings on some generic brands of birth control (and other medications). Enrollment is $20 for an individual or $35 for a family. You can get MonoNessa or TriNessa (generics for Ortho-Cyclen and Ortho-Tri-Cyclen) for $12 for a 1-month supply.
  • Walmart: Walmart's Prescription Program offers a 1-month supply of Sprintec and Tri-Sprintec (generics for Ortho-Cyclen and Ortho-Tri-Cyclen) for $9.

Do you know of any other ways to save on birth control that I might be missing?