Lemondrop

Though a record number of babies were born in the U.S. in 2007, no such trend will likely be seen in 2009. With people losing jobs, homes and health insurance, more women are turning to abortion and birth control to keep from having children.

While Planned Parenthood does not have current national abortion statistics, their clinics in several states have reported higher numbers of abortions so far this year. Illinois facilities performed a record number of abortions in January and St. Louis-area clinics saw a 7 percent increase in the procedure in the second half of 2008 from a year earlier. The National Network of Abortion Funds, a group that helps women finance abortions, said calls to their hotline have quadrupled.

Birth Control No Bargain
Another area of concern is women needing more help paying for birth control because of lost jobs and health insurance. In Iowa alone, the number of women seeking access to birth control is up nearly 40 percent. Some say it's evidence that President Obama's family-planning provisions, which were cut out of his economic stimulus package, would have come in handy right about now.

"Vasectomies, condoms and Plan B are great options for men and women with health insurance and cash," writes Washington CityPaper blogger Amanda Hess. "But those Americans who can't afford to step up their birth control with their current bank balances will be having recession-era babies. And they're the ones who will be hit hardest by another mouth to feed."

Cristina Page of RH Reality Check says the people who most need family planning are "the ones with the least access to it."

"Family planning is nothing less than a foundation on which many Americans build sturdy, responsible lives. Regardless of political affiliation, that's exactly what many are struggling to do right now."

Worried About Feeding More Mouths

An example: A Utah couple in their 20s said they're trying to avoid having a third child because of finances. They recently signed up for health insurance and hope to get government assistance for birth control.

"We want to wait until our finances pick up," Cassi Yarbrough said. "I just worry if the economy is going to get worse. I would starve myself before my kids [go hungry]. What if it gets so bad I don't have food for them?"

On a better note, a stipulation put in the president's spending bill last week could at least make birth control more affordable for struggling students. The provision would reverse a Congressional "oops" from 2005 that prohibited drug companies and clinics from dispensing discounted contraception at campus clinics. Already at the University of Wisconsin, students can now choose between 19 generic forms of birth control pills that cost $20 or less per month. What a bargain!

Tell us: Have you tried to prevent having a child because of the economy?