c) More than three-quarters. In a recent Guttmacher survey, 52% of lower and middle income women reported being worse off financially because of the recession. Of those women, 77% agreed with the statement “With the economy the way it is, I can’t afford to have a baby right now.”

b) almost 1 in 10. In the same survey of women, eight percent reported that they sometimes did not use birth control in order to save money. This cost-cutting behavior was more common among those financially worse off than among others (12% vs. 4%).

c) almost 1 in 5. According to our study 18% of women using the pill reported inconsistent use as a means of saving money. Pill users said they skipped pills (4%), delayed getting a prescription filled (12%), went off the pill for at least a month (11%) and obtained fewer pill packs at one time (8%).

a) More than 15 million. In 2006, there were 17.5 million U.S. women who were in need of publicly-supported contraceptive services. A woman is considered in need if she is of reproductive age (13-44); sexually active; able to become pregnant; not currently pregnant, postpartum or trying to become pregnant; and either under age 20 or with a family income less than 250% of the federal poverty level.

a) 1 out of every 4. Publicly funded family planning clinics are a critical source of care for millions of poor and low income women. Some 7 million women receive contraceptive care from these sites each year, representing 24.8% of all U.S. women receiving such care.

c) 66% more abortions. Publicly funded family planning services provide millions of low-income women with access to highly effective contraceptive methods, without which many women would be forced to rely on less effective methods, or no method, resulting in many more unintended pregnancies and abortions. If all of the women who currently rely on publicly funded family planning services were to lose access to that care, we estimate that the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions would each rise by more than 60%.

c) about $4.00. An estimated $5.8 billion would be needed to cover the Medicaid maternity-related costs for unintended births that are prevented by publicly funded contraceptive services for Medicaid-eligible women. In contrast, the public cost of providing contraceptive care is estimated at $1.4 billion; resulting in a net savings of $4.3 billion – or $4 saved for every $1 spent.

a) 41%. Medicaid is the nation’s largest health insurance program for low-income individuals. Under federal Medicaid law, states are required to provide coverage to pregnant women, infants, and children according to categories based on the federal poverty level.

c) 21-30 years. The typical American woman, who wants two children, spends about five years pregnant, postpartum or trying to become pregnant, and three decades trying to avoid pregnancy.

b) 1 out of 4. Approximately one-fourth of women who would obtain a Medicaid-funded abortion if given the option are instead forced to carry their pregnancy to term when state laws restrict Medicaid funding for abortion, because they lack the money to pay for the procedure themselves.