Reduce birth control costs to cut crisis pregnancy numbers, say doctors

Cheap long-term contraception will cut crisis pregnancy numbers

Doctors have appealed to the minister for health, Simon Harris, to cut the cost of long-term contraception to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies in Ireland.

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) says options such as implants, injections, and intra-uterine devices (IUDs) — some of which can provide protection for years — are particularly suited to younger women, who may fail to take the pill daily, which they need to do if it is to be effective.