# Free contraception for women



## Brendan Burgess (12 Oct 2021)

part of €31m Women's health measures


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## RetirementPlan (12 Oct 2021)

Only up to age 24 I think. Does fertility stop at 24? A good start I suppose.


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## Protocol (12 Oct 2021)

I don't understand this.

The market for these products seems efficient (in the economic sense).

Condoms are under 1 euro each, or they were when I used to buy them.

What is the issue?


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

RetirementPlan said:


> Only up to age 24 I think. Does fertility stop at 24? A good start I suppose.


25, at a cost of 37m not a cent for mens health?


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

Protocol said:


> I don't understand this.
> 
> The market for these products seems efficient (in the economic sense).
> 
> ...


Just another fudge I'm afraid, most responsible people would pay those who don't get a house.


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## Sunny (12 Oct 2021)

Protocol said:


> I don't understand this.
> 
> The market for these products seems efficient (in the economic sense).
> 
> ...



As men, we should probably probably research the issues before dismissing them but I presume it might have something to do with the fact that you can walk into a pub toilet and buy your condom. A woman needs to pay a doctors consult fee and the cost of the contraceptive pill or emergency pill to access contraception. I have no issue with this unless someone can show that they have just made it up out of thin air. I presume there is an issue there that needs to be addressed.


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## RetirementPlan (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> 25, at a cost of 37m not a cent for mens health?


Have mens health services been cancelled or something?
Contraception is a shared responsibility. The benefits apply to both men and women.


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

Sunny said:


> As men, we should probably probably research the issues before dismissing them but I presume it might have something to do with the fact that you can walk into a pub toilet and buy your condom. A woman needs to pay a doctors consult fee and the cost of the contraceptive pill or emergency pill to access contraception. I have no issue with this unless someone can show that they have just made it up out of thin air. I presume there is an issue there that needs to be addressed.


Really, and that justifies the lack of any money for mens health? And just to prove my annoyance with this post, women can walk too. 
Our suicide rates are 4:1 in men , I have spent over 3000 in therapy after trying to hurt myself not a penny in tax relief for anything to do with mens health. 

Ah shur us men will be grand.


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## Sunny (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Really, and that justifies the lack of any money for mens health? And just to prove my annoyance with this post, women can walk too.
> Our suicide rates are 4:1 in men , I have spent over 3000 in therapy after trying to hurt myself not a penny in tax relief for anything to do with mens health.
> 
> Ah shur us men will be grand.



What on earth are you talking about??? As the other poster said, has men's health been cancelled????

What issues around mens health were raised before the budget. I didn't hear anything. I heard lots about contraception.

Spending on mental health is seperate to spending on womans health around contraception. Unless you can show that more is being spent to help women with mental health than men or something, you are discussing something completely different and you are dragging this off topic.

And by the way, I still avail of therapy around addiction that I receive no support and I still don't have an issue with this measure.


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## redy38 (12 Oct 2021)

RetirementPlan said:


> Only up to age 24 I think. Does fertility stop at 24? A good start I suppose.


I guess they assume that at 25 a woman will be able to afford it?


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## Purple (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Really, and that justifies the lack of any money for mens health? And just to prove my annoyance with this post, women can walk too.
> Our suicide rates are 4:1 in men , I have spent over 3000 in therapy after trying to hurt myself not a penny in tax relief for anything to do with mens health.
> 
> Ah shur us men will be grand.


We need to 'Man Up' Paul. 
I agree with this measure but, speaking from close personal experience, the mental health services for young men in this country are a shambles. If there are addiction and violence issues associated with it the mental health issues are ignored and it is treated as a criminal issue.


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## Purple (12 Oct 2021)

Sunny said:


> What on earth are you talking about??? As the other poster said, has men's health been cancelled????
> 
> What issues around mens health were raised before the budget. I didn't hear anything. I heard lots about contraception.
> 
> ...


I don't think anyone has an issue with this measure.


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

Purple said:


> We need to 'Man Up' Paul.
> I agree with this measure but, speaking from close personal experience, the mental health services for young men in this country are a shambles. If there are addiction and violence issues associated with it the mental health issues are ignored and it is treated as a criminal issue.


I know it's just swept under the carpet and it needs to stop.  When I was " cured " society expected me to simply " fit back in" sorry society it's not that simple


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

Sunny said:


> What on earth are you talking about??? As the other poster said, has men's health been cancelled????
> 
> What issues around mens health were raised before the budget. I didn't hear anything. I heard lots about contraception.
> 
> ...


No it hasn't but where is the money for the carnage of mens health. 

The measure is fine but why so one sided?


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## Purple (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> No it hasn't but where is the money for the carnage of mens health.
> 
> The measure is fine but why so one sided?


Men are rubbish at advocating for themselves. Women are better at it because they've had to do it for so much longer and started off having so much more to advocate about.


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## Steven Barrett (12 Oct 2021)

Sunny said:


> As men, we should probably probably research the issues before dismissing them but I presume it might have something to do with the fact that *you can walk into a pub toilet and buy your condom*. A woman needs to pay a doctors consult fee and the cost of the contraceptive pill or emergency pill to access contraception. I have no issue with this unless someone can show that they have just made it up out of thin air. I presume there is an issue there that needs to be addressed.


men can also walk away from the problem of unwanted pregnancies. Makes perfect sense to introduce this benefit. 

We've come a long way from when such discussion about contraception and sex before marriage would see you doing some penance. Even though the priests..._(snip, Brendan's lawyers )_


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

Purple said:


> Men are rubbish at advocating for themselves. Women are better at it because they've had to do it for so much longer and started off having so much more to advocate about.


Theres a reason for that " society expects " and if your a man struggling the avenues are either non existent or clouded with negativity. 
I speak as someone one who has an intellectual capacity to understand things, years of experience tried to get a job , was honest why I had a gap in my experience send out CVs no reply. 

The second book and my poetry,  if ever published will explain more.

I've no issue with the proposal it's just so gendered and I was lead to believe than men and women were at least have parity of esteem.....not in this country. 

I apologise for my earlier outbursts


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

I'll add something here


Sunny said:


> What on earth are you talking about??? As the other poster said, has men's health been cancelled????
> 
> What issues around mens health were raised before the budget. I didn't hear anything. I heard lots about contraception.
> 
> ...


I'm not in the humour to justify my views to you, if you can't understand why this is one sided theres little I can do to convince you. 

The measure is fine,  but where is the counter balance?


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## Sunny (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> I'll add something here
> 
> I'm not in the humour to justify my views to you, if you can't understand why this is one sided theres little I can do to convince you.
> 
> The measure is fine,  but where is the counter balance?



What is one sided about it? It is female contraception. Has nothing to do with men. Comparisons with buying condoms are just ridiculous. Why don't you actually read up on the issue before dismissing it. And you had problems with the measure earlier. You seem to think that because they spent money on womens health, that men should get the same thing. Are we gender balancing the budget now? If mens health needs some funding, then argue that. Resenting money being spent on womens health is just pathetic.

And you don't have to justify your views to anyone. There was a ridiculous post on AAM a few months ago from a woman that asked why do men always say 'what about men' when women issues are being discussed. I argued strongly against it at the time because there is an issue around mens issues being ignored but when you try to bring up mens health on a thread about female contraception, I can see the woman's point of view.


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## Paul O Mahoney (12 Oct 2021)

Sunny said:


> What is one sided about it? It is female contraception. Has nothing to do with men. Comparisons with buying condoms are just ridiculous. Why don't you actually read up on the issue before dismissing it. And you had problems with the measure earlier. You seem to think that because they spent money on womens health, that men should get the same thing. Are we gender balancing the budget now? If mens health needs some funding, then argue that. Resenting money being spent on womens health is just pathetic.
> 
> And you don't have to justify your views to anyone. There was a ridiculous post on AAM a few months ago from a woman that asked why do men always say 'what about men' when women issues are being discussed. I argued strongly against it at the time because there is an issue around mens issues being ignored but when you try to bring up mens health on a thread about female contraception, I can see the woman's point of view.


Fine but where is the balance?


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## Purple (12 Oct 2021)

Sunny said:


> What is one sided about it? It is female contraception. Has nothing to do with men. Comparisons with buying condoms are just ridiculous. Why don't you actually read up on the issue before dismissing it. And you had problems with the measure earlier. You seem to think that because they spent money on womens health, that men should get the same thing. Are we gender balancing the budget now? If mens health needs some funding, then argue that. Resenting money being spent on womens health is just pathetic.
> 
> And you don't have to justify your views to anyone. There was a ridiculous post on AAM a few months ago from a woman that asked why do men always say 'what about men' when women issues are being discussed. I argued strongly against it at the time because there is an issue around mens issues being ignored but when you try to bring up mens health on a thread about female contraception, I can see the woman's point of view.


Paul didn't make any comparison to condoms. The question was why was there no measures around men's health. That's all.


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## Eireog007 (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Fine but where is the balance?



What sort of balance are you crying out for here? An equal amount of money set aside for condoms for men or just an equal amount of money set aside for any men’s only issue?
If it’s the former I would argue that funding free women’s  contraception is a more cost effective measure as they tend to cover a time period as opposed to per usage with condoms. If it’s the latter then my response would be grow up, it’s a ridiculous point of view that just because somebody got something that you need to “balance” the books for everybody else. There isn’t a bottomless pit of money on offer so the measures should be targeted where they will do the most good rather than ensuring everybody feels they got just as much as everybody else.


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## Sunny (12 Oct 2021)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Fine but where is the balance?



What balance are you talking about? So they spent 31m euro on Womens health. So you want to see 31m spent on mens health? Is that how we do budgets now? Anything that might benefit women or men more, we should see a balance for the other gender. They are dealing with things like period poverty and access to female contraception which are female issues. There are also increased supports for domestic abuse victims that while predominately women will help men as well. 

I have no issue with starting up a campaign around men health issues and getting increased funding. But taking a good news story for women out of todays budget and turning it into a 'what about the men' thread is completely wrong. Just my opinion though. Like I say, I have no issue with the measure. You called it a fudge for reason and I simply don't agree.


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## VonHohenzollern (12 Oct 2021)

€31 million might be a bargain.  

How much does the state spend on a child whose parent's cant afford to maintain them? 
How much does an abortion procedure cost?
This can be seen as a preventative of a whole host of costs. 

I wonder has there been a cost benefit analysis of this action? How much money will this save the Irish state.


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## Baby boomer (12 Oct 2021)

I suppose that if you're struggling to afford contraception, you certainly can't afford a baby.  So this is a good thing and might even save the taxpayer some cash in the long run.  

Couple of questions, though?

1. If contraception is to be funded, why not include all methods, eg condoms and vasectomies?  These may well be the optimum solution for some women as they more free of adverse side effects.

2.  I really can't see the logic of putting an age limit on it!  Unless it's a blatantly transparent grab at the youth vote.


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## Sunny (12 Oct 2021)

The cost of the contraceptive measures is thought be around €10m. I am not sure this budget item is worth two pages of discussion on AAM to be honest.

With reduced transport costs and free contraception, its a good budget for young women! And men of course!


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## Eireog007 (12 Oct 2021)

Baby boomer said:


> 2.  I really can't see the logic of putting an age limit on it!  Unless it's a blatantly transparent grab at the youth vote.



Well I image there are a number of reasons, firstly the younger you are the less you are likely to be earning and therefore will benefit most from this and secondly after 25 the percentage of women who would be starting to think about starting a family would likely increase dramatically. It could also just be similar to the free gp care for kids in that they have started to with an age bracket and may increase it next year.


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## Brendan Burgess (12 Oct 2021)

Folks, I have deleted a few posts. 

This is a discussion of finance on Askaboutmoney.

As Tickle pointed out, this not Boards.ie

Brendan


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