College women who saw an increase in the price of birth control in 2007 may soon be getting some relief. Prior to 2007, birth control was offered at a discounted price to female college students. Most popular brands of contraception could be purchased at student health centers for $8-$11. But in 2005, Congress passed The Federal Deficit Reduction Act, which disallowed pharmaceutical companies to continue providing campus health centers with the discounted prescriptions. Prices of certain birth control medications jumped from $10 to $50. Karen Hagemeyer, director of the pharmacy at the University Student Health Center said the significant increase in birth control prices which occurred as a result of the DRA affected the number of college age women who were able to buy birth control. ‘As a result of the act, many women just found it difficult, or in some cases even impossible to buy,’ she said. Sophomore Jessica Smith said the price of birth control has affected her decision to not prescribe to the product. ‘It is so easy to get a prescription to birth control, but then the product is too expensive,’ Smith said. ‘I just can’t afford to pay $50 a month for birth control.’ Last month, President Obama signed into affect The Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which overturned a prevision of The Federal Deficit Reduction act – resulting in pharmaceutical companies being given the choice to provide college campuses with discounted birth control. Because the decision to lower the price of birth control is left up to the drug companies, the price has yet to change at the University, Hagemeyer said. But the Student Health Center is in contact with the drug companies in an effort to get prices lowered for students. Junior Danielle Seymour currently pays $50 a month for Nuva Ring, a popular brand of birth control. Seymour said finding money to pay for the high price of the prescription has been difficult.’ ‘It is hard because it is something I need and what works best for me, but it is also one of the most expensive prescriptions,’ Seymore said. ‘It is really not something I want to spend $50 a month on, especially as a college student.’ Hagemeyer said she hopes the prices will soon be reduced and anticipates a price negation could be in place as soon as the fall semester. ‘Right now, we are just sitting here waiting for a response and trying to speed it along and we are very hopeful that they will respond to the discount,’ Hagemeyer said. ‘I wish I had a definite answer, but I am very hopeful at this point.’