THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 48
COSTLY PROTECTION
Oral contraceptives pricier than in past
New federal laws and pharmaceutical business models prevent colleges from offering cheap birth control
BY JUSTINE PATTON jpatton@kansan.com
Ten years ago, college women could purchase a
months worth of oral contraceptives for the price
of a Chipotle burrito — $7.
That's pocket change compared with what some women pay for oral contraceptives today. Popular brand name birth control pills such as Yaz
brand name birth control pills such as Yaz now cost patients more than $60 a month.
What's changed in the last 1 0
years. The difference lies in the federal laws regarding contraception.
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 removed college health centers ability to offer birth control pills at discounted rates. They had been able to offer the low prices for more than 20 years. Cathy Thrasher, the pharmacist in charge at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said the act left that ability only to health centers that served communities with high poverty rates.
College health centers are not typically what you would call indigent care." Thrasher said. "It's true that students don't have a lot of money, but usually they have a back-up force, their parents, etetera. Usually, they are not truly impoverished."
prices, and now more than a year later. Thrasher said there had been no great move by any of them to lower their prices.
Thrasher said that the days of 87 birth control pills were probably finished and that she expected prices to keep increasing. Thrasher said the manufacturers were now more interested in spending their money on advertising and offering voucher cards rather than discounts.
Dr. Patricia Denning, the chief of staff at Watkins connected the rising costs with the large amount of profits the companies make, which include large salaries and annual bonuses for their CEOs.
Voucher cards allow a patient to receive a certain brand of birth control pills at a discounted price for a limited amount of time. When the vouchers run out, manufacturers hope that an individual will continue buying the product regardless of the increase in price.
Danielle Fuller, a junior from Olathe, takes Lutera, which is the generic form of a birth control pill called Alesse. Fuller, with the aid of her parents' insurance policy, pays only $10 a month for her birth control pills. However for a student with no insurance, Lutera costs more than $50 a month.
"I think if you're going to have a plan in life, then you have to make a decision about where you're going to spend your money." Thrasher said. "I think if you're not going to be abstinent, you need to prepare."
Despite the large price tags. Thrasher said she still thought birth control pills were worth paying for each month.
Denning agreed that there were many benefits to taking birth control pills in addition to pregnancy prevention. She said birth control pills helped minimize acne, regulated a person's menstrual cycle and lessened severe cramping as well.
RESEARCH
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Andrew Short, assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, showcases a variety of insects he collected in the rainforests of Suriname. Short traveled by charter planes and canoes in the South American rainforest from Aug. 15 to Sept. 12 and collected approximately 85 species of water beetles.
Researcher keeps his passion alive by finding new species
BY KELLY STRODA
kstroda@kansan.com
He was searching for the unknown and the undiscovered.
Andrew Short, assistant professor of entomology, spent four weeks in the unspoiled rain forests of Suriname.
Short said he thought he collected about 20 new species of water beetles, which is nothing compared to the more than 100 beetles he has named in his career.
"Here's the secret," Short said. "Here's the dirty secret with this, right? New species of insects are
But there's a key to discovering new insects, Short said.
Short said the goal of his trip was to survey plants, animals and insects around Suriname and to learn as much about the biodiversity of the country as possible.
like grains of sand. Really the scandalous part here, OK, is that there is about a million described species of insects and there are at best — best-case scenario, the most conservative, ultra-conservative estimate — about three million species."
Three million species of insects in the world, that is.
"So, you can do the math," he said.
Collecting bugs, even in the 21st century, is a simple task. In fact, Short said he does about 90 percent
From "early guessestimates," Short said he has collected 85 different species of water beetles. He said 20 of those are likely new to science, meaning there is no previous official record.
He collected about 5,000 specimens of water beetles from rivers, streams and swamps while in Suriname. The specimens of water beetles ranged in size from a little smaller than a dime to smaller than the "O" on this page.
of his gathering using nets.
Suriname, tucked in the northeastern part of South America, is the continent's smallest country
- roughly the size of Wisconsin.
Because of its remoteness, finding
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© 2010 The University Daily Kansan
City organizations ask people to offer help, not funds, to panhandlers
INSIDE
Jayhawks' hoops are on their way back
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Check out The Kansan's basketball preview for coverage of the men's and women's upcoming Big 12 seasons.
LAWRENCE | 3A
At the urging of business owners, the city will begin providing small cards for people to hand out to panhandlers as an alternative for money. The cards would have information about social services and help groups.