# Where are the birth control commercial? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2023, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698 "2023-08-17T04:52:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/1 "2023-08-17T04:52:09Z")
At one time there were all sorts of TV commercials for contraceptives. Spermacidal foams, pills, implants, injections, condoms. Now that Roe has been dismantled I would think companies making such products would jump on that. But it’s been years since I’ve seen such ads. Am I just not watching the right channels? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/2 "2023-08-17T05:03:12Z")
Interesting. You’d think so. How expensive is birth control these days? I’d assume a lot of the pills are generics now, and other methods are a one time thing, and probably selected by the doctor. Maybe there isn’t enough profit in birth control to make expensive advertising worth it. I’d also wonder if the drug companies worry about push back. Before the backlash for abortion rights we’re now seeing, there did seem to be a small effort by the usual suspects saying birth control was dangerous and should be made hard to get. But I suspect it is mostly the money. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/3 "2023-08-17T05:28:05Z")
They do condom TV ads in Europe (see below…warning…screaming kid). Note: There are plenty more European condom ads to be found…some I would say are R-rated if that bothers you (general “you”). My guess is US TV stations refuse to carry such ads. > **[European Condom Commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaqsd2B9ayw%5C&feature=youtu.be)** > > I know this video is all over youtube, but i like it. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/4 "2023-08-17T06:41:23Z")
That child must have had some fun. I do hope he didn’t end up typecast. We don’t get much of such advertising either, but we don’t get much fire and brimstone about the whole question either. The nearest I can recall was more of a public health issue in relation to AIDS and STIs (and even then it may only have been shown in cinemas rather than on TV): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qdT8RZDaQYk/maxresdefault.jpg "Health Education Authority - Mrs. Dawson (1991, UK)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdT8RZDaQYk) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/5 "2023-08-17T06:57:33Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > At one time there were all sorts of TV commercials for contraceptives. Spermacidal foams, pills, implants, injections, condoms. > > Now that Roe has been dismantled I would think companies making such products would jump on that. [This article from last year](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/birth-control-advertising-is-on-the-rise-and-it-has-a-complicated-history-195846822.html) says that that is indeed happening: > [@](#): > > These ads have been airing during college sports games and primetime series and are part of a nationwide uptick in birth control advertising — a reaction, it seems, to the overturning of _Roe v. Wade_ in June. > > According to [Digiday](https://digiday.com/marketing/how-contraceptive-brands-are-increasing-online-advertising-since-scotus-overturned-roe-v-wade/), since the overturning of _Roe_, many contraceptive brands have doubled their advertising budgets. […] > > These days, some of the most important work of birth control advertising is to dispel misinformation — which is being seen [more and more on social media](https://www.wired.com/story/hormonal-birth-control-tiktok/)— and give accurate information to those who may need or want it. […] > [@pkbites](#): > > But it’s been years since I’ve seen such ads. Am I just not watching the right channels? Well, any form of personally targeted ads for us old geezers is likely to have contraceptives pretty low on its list of our potential products of interest. Even broadcast ads for contraceptives are still going to be channeled (no pun intended) toward the entertainment items popular with young people. So yeah, maybe you’re just self-selecting out of the target audience for those ads with your viewing choices? Furthermore, as [this article explains,](https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/drug-ads-tv-pharma-changing-face-dtc-advertising/539982/) the majority of TV pharmaceutical advertising tends to be about newer, unfamiliar, and expensive medications that are highly profitable for the advertisers, especially when competing manufacturers are struggling for market share. Most contraceptives are not going to deliver that kind of ROI bang for the advertiser’s buck. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/6 "2023-08-17T07:05:41Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > My guess is US TV stations refuse to carry such ads. They carried those ads all the time up until a few years ago. I’d post a half dozen of them if I didn’t keep getting that damn error message. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/7 "2023-08-17T10:32:52Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > At one time there were all sorts of TV commercials for contraceptives. Spermacidal foams, pills, implants, injections, condoms. Over-the-counter birth control pills have just been approved in the US and will be for sale early 2024. I’d expect a large ad campaign. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/8 "2023-08-17T15:54:56Z")
I don’t know what birth control pills cost, but my hormone replacement pills (covered by medicaid) are over 300 a month. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/9 "2023-08-17T16:01:55Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > So yeah, maybe you’re just self-selecting out of the target audience for those ads with your viewing choices? Yeah where are you consuming ads? Young people are putting their eyeballs on a whole other set of screens than people 40+. And even those of us in the 40-50 range are viewing ads in different places than people 50+. And even if you are getting most of your advertising from digital sources, those digital sources know how old you are and are not going to show you contraceptive ads. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/10 "2023-08-17T16:22:07Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > They carried those ads all the time up until a few years ago. I’d suggesting looking into the demographics. Birth control users are mostly young people…say 15-30. Are they watching ABC/CBS/NBC anymore? I suspect not so much. Their viewing habits have moved and the ad money will follow them to wherever they are now. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/11 "2023-08-18T02:37:20Z")
[quote=“Kimstu, post:5, topic:988698, full:true”] Well, any form of personally targeted ads for us old geezers is likely to have contraceptives pretty low on its list of our potential products of interest. [/quote] Besides the ads being targeted to different media, there is also the effect of profit. Birth control pills are only a single pill per day (and 1/4 are placebos). As an old geezer, I take 12 different pills every day. And that’s fairly typical. So a lot more drugs sold (and thus more profit earned) from advertising & selling ‘old geezer’ medication rather than birth control/contraceptives. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/12 "2023-08-18T02:44:30Z")
I saw commercials for Trojan condoms over the last day or so, and remember other commercials for Plan B. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/13 "2023-08-18T22:37:47Z")
I have seen condom ads on MTV, back when I watched it, and other younger-adult oriented channels. That commercial had to be pulled because too many parents complained that their children were imitating the youngster in the ad. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/14 "2023-08-18T22:39:00Z")
ZOMG are you a man or a woman, and what do you take?!??!!! You can PM me if you don’t want to post it here. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/15 "2023-08-18T22:43:14Z")
I am a woman, always have been. I have been taking Prempro since I went through menopause. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/16 "2023-08-19T03:12:28Z")
$300 a MONTH? That’s insane! I realize it’s not used as much as it used to be, but 20 years ago, Prempro was about $30 a month without insurance. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/17 "2023-08-19T04:38:05Z")
Yep. Its covered in Medicaid. I am in bed right now, when I get up, I will doublecheck. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/18 "2023-08-19T14:44:47Z")
$944.99 for a 3 month supply. So, 315 a month. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-birth-control-commercial/988698/19 "2023-08-21T14:26:40Z")
Wow! I’m a woman and have been taking Estradiol for years. It’s only about $20 for a 3 month supply!