The World Health Organization (WHO) defines family planning as an individual or family’s ability to prepare for a specific number of children, as well as the timing of their births. This includes families that want to avoid pregnancies altogether. American spending on family planning and reproductive health rose steadily for 30 years but has recently plateaued, totaling just $608 million in 2023. For comparison, the US military spent $278.1 billion on operations and maintenance in 2023, a $21.8 billion increase over the year prior and $6.8 billion more than the initial 2023 budget.
The importance of investing in high-quality, accessible family planning services cannot be overstated. The country averages upward of 3 million unplanned pregnancies every year. These pregnancies cost the economy up to $12.6 billion, with a low-end estimate of $9.6 billion. The prevention of these pregnancies, meanwhile, could save American taxpayers between $4.7 billion and $6.2 billion.
On a household level, families typically spend approximately $237,482 during the first 18 years of a child’s life, or nearly $13,200 per year. Between 2016 and 2021, expenses rose nearly 20 percent. It should be noted that these figures do not account for college tuition, which ranks as the second most expensive purchase made by Americans who decide to go to college. These costs are untenable for households in certain economic classes. They are exacerbated by the fact that unplanned pregnancies are more common among the country’s most vulnerable populations, including minority women and individuals with less than 12 years of formal education.
Fortunately, there are many accessible and cost-effective approaches to family planning, including the use of contraceptives such as condoms or the birth control pill. However, research suggests government officials and health authorities need to do more to promote the safety and effectiveness of these family planning tools.
Many women, for example, fear the consequences of certain methods of contraception, partly due to a lack of media coverage regarding advances in birth control, including protection against certain types of cancer. The National Library of Medicine states that the decision to not use contraception is more dangerous to healthy women aged 35 or younger than the decision to avoid birth control.
That said, many women face additional challenges associated with certain forms of contraception, from weight fluctuations to potential health conditions such as blood clots and liver disorders, as well as an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the most effective approaches to contraception include etonogestrel contraceptive implants, levonorgestrel intrauterine systems, and a copper intrauterine device, better known as an IUD.
Female sterilization and vasectomy procedures for men are also highly effective. Sterilization is the most popular form of contraceptive among women between the ages of 40 and 49. A survey from the National Center for Health Statistics found that less than one in five men wear a condom during every sexual encounter.
Abstinence is a complex and controversial topic when it comes to family planning. There is considerable evidence that shows abstinence-only strategies are ineffective. At the same time, sexually active adults must realize that refraining from sexual activity is the only approach to contraception with a 100 percent success rate. Individuals can learn more about optimizing their family planning strategies by visiting a family planning services provider.
Shawanda Renee Obey, MD 
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