Cheaper Birth Control -- Without a Monthly Bill
Economy has more couples turning to vasectomies
By SCOTT FRIEDMAN
Updated 10:24 PM CST, Wed, May 13, 2009
Vasectomies are up in down economy. It can be cheaper than other birth-control methods, and some people don't want more kids right now.
Just minutes away from having the procedure in a doctor's office in Plano, Jeff Moody said he wasn't worried about pain. Instead, he talked about the money he was going to save.
His wife had been spending $50 a month on birth-control pills. Added up, the total could reach as much as $12,000 in 20 years.
According to Planned Parenthood, the cost of birth-control pills ranges from $15 to $50 a month.
Moody's insurance will cover the entire cost of the vasectomy. Without insurance, the procedure would be about $1,000, which is less than two years of Moody's wife's birth control pills.
Across the country, there's anecdotal evidence that the number of vasectomies is on the rise. And it's not just because of the cost -- some couples don't want to risk having more children in a rough economy.
"I hear it a lot, and a lot of it has to do with the uncertainty -- not just the uncertainty of the economy, but the uncertainty of whether they're going to have a job in six months," said Dr. Michael Wierschem, a urologist at Baylor Plano.
Wierschem's office has performed more vasectomies than ever in recent months. The New York Times reported a similar trend on the East Coast earlier this spring.
When Moody heard the procedure could be done quickly and in the doctor's office, he was sold.
"Five minutes; it's quick in-and-out," he said. "I was really excited to hear that."
And he already knows what he's going to do with the money he and his wife will save on birth control. He has five places to spend it --- five kids younger than age 9.
"Dancing, cheerleading, drill team -- you name it, they're doing it," he said.
First Published: May 13, 2009 6:56 PM CST
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