Free Birth Control Doesn't Encourage Promiscuity: Study

For years we have heard the arguments against free birth control in women. Critics of contraception say making birth control free and readily available would encourage promiscuity and other dangerous behaviors in young women, putting our nation's young adults at significantly greater risk of an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases. However, a recent study out from the Washington University School of Medicine claims that these arguments have no real basis in fact. Free contraception, the study shows, has no noticeable affect on sexual behavior in women.

The study, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, followed 9,256 adolescents and women not on birth control and at risk for unintended pregnancy. These women were provided contraception of their choice at no costs. In return, the participants had to answer questions via telephone interview at 6 and 12 months into the study. The number of sexual partners these women had 30 days prior to the study was also recorded.

Of the total number of participants, 7,751 women and adolescents answered questions at both the 6 and 12-month follow-up. Of all the women, 71 percent of the participants over the yearlong trial reported no change in the number of sexual partners, despite having cost-free access to birth control. Interestingly, 13 percent of the partners reported a decrease in the number of sexual partners, and 16 percent reported an increase.

Critics of contraception may now be thinking, "well 16 percent isn't exactly insignificant," but the researchers behind the study are quick to point out that more than 80 percent of the women who saw an increase in sexual partners went from having no partner to one partner.  Of course, "promiscuity," even in its most conservative terms, defines having two or more frequent sexual partners.

It should be noted that the researchers did find that free contraception did result in an increase in coital frequency among the women, but the study also found that having sex regularly with only one to two exclusive partners did not appear to result in a greater risk contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

The study was published in Obstetrics & Gynecology on March 5.