I've been seeing my boyfriend for close to three months now.

When I stared dating him, I wasn't on any form of birth control. I've had some hideous experiences with the pill in the past in regards to depression, skin and weight gain. I've been on nearly every pill there is, including the 'no side effect' brands with very little luck. I much prefer to stay off contraception if I am not sexually active, because my body is so sensitive to it.

My preferred method of contraception is condoms . However my boy has a bad reaction to most condoms and finds them painful to use. We've tried this and yeah, he is obviously in a fair amount of pain.

The IUD is not an option for me because of the side effects and my past reactions.

The only thing that works for me is the nuva ring. I don't seem to have any problems with it. I've been on it in the past with no dramas and it is the only kind of female contraception I feel comfortable with at the moment.

The only problem with that, is that is kind of expensive where I live. I just coughed up $75 today for my prescription which broke the bank.

I know it seems trivial, but things are pretty tight for me at the moment. I am a full time student with a low paying job and some huge bills I'm still trying to get rid of.

My question to you is: do any of you split the cost of contraception with your partners?

I haven't asked him, and I haven't told him how much it is costing me - because I have a feeling if he knew he'd probably offer to pay anyway: thats the kind of guy he is. He has a full time professional job, so paying his half wouldn't put a hole in his pocket - but would probably ease the hole in mine.

I dunno, I'm just curious to see what other people think about this and what other couples do?

I get my birth control free through the state, so I don't have to worry about this, but if I did have to pay a lot for contraception, I would definitely talk to my partner about splitting the cost (and I imagine he would be fine doing so.) You are well within your right to ask your boyfriend to pitch in, especially since this expense is currently putting such a strain on your finances. Just because you are female and scientists have figured out how to effectively repress our reproductive systems doesn't mean you should have to shoulder the entire financial burden. I'd imagine that neither you nor your boyfriend wants you to get pregnant right now and keeping that from happening is a shared responsibility.

Well, since what's mine is his and what's his is mine, I guess we're equal contributors. But back before we moved in together and got married, I bought my own contraceptive pill. I figured I was on it for reasons other than contraception anyway. Also, at the time, it was only costing me $3.60 for four months (Health Care Card subsidy) so, it was pointless even discussing it.

I would probably bring up the cost of contraception with your boyfriend.

Helen

He buys the condoms, but I pay for my pill, which is $72 for 3 months, so it's a little steep, and he did actually offer to contribute, but I always feel bad asking for money (this was at the start of our relationship) and so I said no. I could make him now if I wanted, but it doesn't really bother me though, because he pays for other things, like if we go out for dinner he always pays, and if it's some one off payment for something he usually does that too, he has more savings than I do.

But if it is a situation that bothers you, then I don't see why you shouldn't ask him to contribute. My boy asked straight away, and I was his first girlfriend so it wasn't like he'd had experience with the situation before.

Helen: wish mine was like that. For some reason my claim for subsidy keeps getting revoked :\

At the beginning of my relationship with my now husband, I did the same thing than you: went from no birth control(too many side effects with the pill) to the nuva ring (side note: even more side effects for me). He spontaneously offered to split the cost as he knew how expensive those things were. Later on, I chose to get an IUD and he paid for half of that too (much cheaper though).

I think you should tell him just what you wrote here and he'll be happy to contribute.

Absolutely. He drove me to and from the hospital, stayed with me until I was wheeled into the OR and stayed with me in the hospital after my hysterectomy.

We share the cost of health insurance, so I guess in a way we are sharing the cost of the birth control, since I use our joint Health Savings Account to pay for it. But before that... Gosh, I can't even remember. I feel like at some point in college we may have had a conversation about splitting the cost, but I don't remember what we decided. If we didn't end up splitting it, it would only have been because I decided not to for whatever reason. I know he wouldn't have had a problem with it. So basically what I'm saying is that I think it's a totally reasonable conversation to have and a totally reasonable request to make.

Yep. I have split the cost of birth control with all of my long-term partners (except my ex-girlfriend, for obvious reasons). Birth control is the responsibility of both partners in a committed relationship, IMO, so I have no problem asking them to help pay for it. I am also on the ring and it's $45, so the help is appreciated.

I think it should be normal to pay equally for birth control.

When I first started seeing my recent boyfriend it was like. I buy a pack of condoms and then he buys the next package. The system worked. Then we decided to try the pill. First I payed on my own, but now as we live together, we pay it out of our both wallet.
Since he is a student his parents pay the rent for our apartement and then I pay half the rent into our wallet and we buy all the expences from this wallet. Starting by food, cleaning supplies, medicine like paracetamol and the pill.

I think even if the woman has huge advantage from the pill, like regular period, possibily to time it, taking the pill for servaral month without any period, fact still is that both partners profit from the pill, so both should pay for it.

Yes-ish. I pay for my birth control pill which costs $5 for three months worth my insurance. He buys the occasional package of condoms, which we don't use all that often. When we first started sleeping together, he asked how much I paid for my birth control pill and outright, I said I don't expect him to contribute because of its trivial cost. (And I had been on it for years before we were together).

He doesn't pull his wallet out when it comes to buying my birth control pills, but I am on his extended medical coverage so in that sense he definetly helps by getting the cost very low and paying for me to be on his plan. When condoms are purchased (we buy online in large quantities) he pays.

He did. In that I left my job, so he pretty much had to. At the time I got my mirena inserted, I was on state insurance, so the state paid. I'm due to have it reinserted though, and this time, it'll be on him.

In the beginning, when we still used condoms, he paid for those and I paid for the pill. I had great insurance at the time, it was way more profitable of a deal for me than him..

Thanks all!

It came up in conversation between us how much it costs, and he offered to pay half straight away. He thought you could get all forms of contraception on medicare, and didn't realize I had to pay myself.

mandakp wrote:

I pay for my pill, which is $72 for 3 months

mandakp wrote:

Helen: wish mine was like that. For some reason my claim for subsidy keeps getting revoked :\

You're probably on one of the new ones like Yaz, which isn't covered by the PBS.

Helen

My ex used to pay me half or all of BC (pill, and then the ring) that I got at PP. I used to split it evenly, I think, but when I moved in with him and he started working full-time I just had him cover everything, because he made more than I did. We were so close and shared everything it was basically like being married.

Since I've been single I got an IUD (Mirena), which I got for free through a program at PP ♥

Good for five years! Gotta love it.

NuvaRing is definitely expensive. Before I had my mirena it was the best option for me though, also in regards to side effects. When I was using it, my parter paid for half because it costs a fortune! Prior to that, he paid for condoms and I paid for the pill and that worked out pretty evenly.

I was on birth control pills for a loooong time before I got together with my boyfriend...I started taking it for medical reasons before I was even sleeping with anybody whatsoever. Since I had to be on it, I just looked at it as a medication cost, not really as a BC cost...we went back and forth with purchasing condoms so that was split.

He definitely helped me out when I got my Essure...he drove me to the hospital, sat around while stuff got ready, dealt with me being crazy after anesthesia, etc. Plus he bought me some pizza when I could finally eat again, haha. I literally did a happy dance over the small cost of the procedure thanks to my insurance, so I'm not bothering asking him to chip in...I'm just glad I was able to get it.

^Munk, you were able to get Essure? I seem to remember you posting on here about not being able to get approved for any kind of permanent contraceptive procedure due to your age. That's awesome that you were finally able to do it.

^YES! I found a non-judgey doctor down here and she's awesome...I was actually weirded out that she didn't ask me all sorts of accusing questions, haha. Anybody I know in this vicinity who needs reproductive care is getting a recommendation to go to her. I'm getting my x-ray to make sure everything worked the day before my birthday...due to that timing, it HAS to have worked perfectly so I can have a totally happy birthday.

I've always paid for my own birth control. It's actually never crossed my mind to ask a partner to help me pay. I always figured that it was my body, so I had to be responsible for it.

I got the IUD in August so no more worrying about paying for birth control for the next five years.

Jonelle wrote:

^Munk, you were able to get Essure? I seem to remember you posting on here about not being able to get approved for any kind of permanent contraceptive procedure due to your age. That's awesome that you were finally able to do it.

I was also able to get it. There ARE good doctors out there that trust a woman's mind and don't view them all as a walking incubator. I was able to get a hysterectomy at 27, but I had already had Essure done. Had I not, I probably would have had to fight pretty hard to get it done.

I definitely could have written this post. I tried every thing out there (except IUD and implants) and I got horrible migraines and depression from ALL of them except the ring. I am a huge advocate for the NuvaRing, it's awesome! I had to pay out of pocket a few times for mine too and it was $80 USD. (I'm married so I guess that counts as hubby paying for it too). When finances we extremely tight I was able to get free 'samples' from my doctor's office when I explained the situation.

Up until we moved in to gether I always paid for my own BC. J would offer to, but since I was on the parent's insurance it was only costing me $4 a month.

Now that we have a joint account for bills and daily household things, I pay for it out of there, it only seems fair.

With my health insurance mine is only nine dollars a month so I just get it myself. However, if it was much more, than my boyfriend would most likely help as we split the cost of our other bills and groceries.

Me and my boyfriend alternate months and we split the cost of any office visits to change pills or anything. When I asked him to help pay for it he wasn't too excited to help but when I told him that it was "a whole lot cheaper than child support" he was totally on my side!