Subsidizing contraceptives

Adolescents are very sensitive to the price of contraceptives as well as their easy availability. In Dakar, Senegal, the price of a condom is the same as the cost of an evening's dancing.

A town in Sweden halved its teenage abortion rate by subsidizing the price of contraceptive pills for young women: shortage of money had made many girls postpone the renewal of their prescriptions. The subsidy reduced the cost by two-thirds, resulting in a much higher renewal rate. The scheme has been copied by 70% of Swedish municipalities.