Cost versus effectiveness of different birth control methods

Abstract

This paper is an empirical investigation of the mix of birth control methods that would be, allocationally efficient in a real population. Current British resource cost and effectiveness data for each method are presented in order to test the prevalent opinion that expenditure on abortion is allocationally inefficient. Even when abortion resources are valued to give a conservatively high cost, however, this opinion is not upheld. When both quantifiable resource costs and effectiveness are plotted for each method, some linear combination of coitus interruptus, and coitus interruptus with all failures terminated by abortion is shown to be the allocationally efficient frontier.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

T. James Trussell

I would like to thank Donald Hay, Tom Laqueur and Miles Kahler for helpful comments and suggestions and Caspar Brook and the entire FPA for assistance and co-operation.