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Press Release - January 13, 2025
 

AccessBC Celebrates Expansion of Free Prescription Contraception in BC

 

Popular contraceptives Lolo and Slynd are now free in BC, and the AccessBC Campaign is celebrating! AccessBC is the grassroots campaign that successfully advocated for universal coverage of prescription contraception in BC, and has been fighting to see this policy adopted across the country and expanded in BC.


On April 1, 2023, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in Canada to make prescription contraception free. The 2023 provincial budget dedicated $119 million over three years for a program that covered a wide range of prescription contraception options, including most oral pills, injections, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, and Plan B (emergency contraception, also known as the morning after pill). Shortly after implementing the policy, coverage for hormonal rings were added, and more recently, Lolo and Slynd are now free in BC.

 

Lo Loestrin Fe, also known as Lolo, is a “low-dose” pill, containing the lowest dose of estrogen currently on the market. Slynd (Drosperinone) is a progesterone only pill that is more effective in preventing pregnancy than older progesterone-only pills. 

“Lolo is a popular choice for those who prefer a daily pill but want a lower dose of estrogen,” said Dr. Ruth Habte, AccessBC Campaign Organizer and Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident Physician. “Slynd is an excellent option for individuals who cannot use estrogen-containing products, such as those with migraines with aura, but don’t want a longer acting reversible option like an IUD or implant. I am thrilled to see the BC NDP government funding more contraceptive options, increasing the likelihood that patients can find a method that works best for them.”

“It is fantastic to see the BC government working to continue to expand and improve free prescription contraception in the province,” said Teale Phelps Bondaroff, AccessBC Campaign chair and co-founder. “The free prescription contraception program has already improved the health and well-being of thousands of British Columbians and helped people exercise reproductive autonomy.”

 

AccessBC is still pushing for contraceptive patches and Ella, a form of emergency contraception, to be covered, and is calling on the government to:

  • Increase the number of medical professionals trained in intrauterine device (IUD) and implant insertion;

  • Improve pain management relating to IUD insertion; and

  • Continue to improve access to contraceptive pills by making some available over the counter.
     

“Making prescription contraception free in BC has had an enormous impact for people across our province,” said Devon Black, AccessBC Campaign national liaison and co-founder. “We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people using contraception since this policy came into effect, which shows how important it is to eliminate that cost barrier to medication that is often life-saving and life-changing. We’re thrilled that this coverage expansion will help even more people access the medication they need.”

 

“BC is a leader when it comes to reproductive justice in Canada. I am very pleased to see the government continuing to work to improve and expand the program,” said Phelps Bondaroff. “I hope that the impressive results of this program inspire the adoption of similar programs across the country, and motivate the BC government to work to continue to expand free prescription contraception coverage and support associated sexual and reproductive health services.”

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Background
 

The cost of prescription contraception can be significant, and often falls disproportionately on women and people who can become pregnant. When paid for out-of-pocket, a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) can cost as much as $500, an implant as much as $350, oral contraceptive pills cost at least $240 per year, and hormone injections as much as $180 per year. Canadian contraceptive care providers have identified cost as the single most important barrier to access, and youth as the population most disproportionately affected by this barrier.

Studies have found that free prescription contraception is a revenue-positive policy. Dr. Wendy Norman, from UBC’s Contraception and Abortion Research Team’s Contraception Cost-effectiveness modelling project team, estimated that the policy would save the BC health system $27 million, or over $5 per BC resident, per year. A 2015 study in the Canadian Association Medical Journal estimated that if this policy were rolled out across Canada, it would save governments $320 million a year, and this is just in the form of direct medical costs associated with unintended pregnancy.

On April 1, 2023, British Columbia became the first province to make prescription contraception free. This policy covers a wide range of contraceptives, including pills, injections, implants, IUDs, and emergency contraception. In November 2023, Manitoba announced that it would be adopting the policy. The recently announced first phase of the national pharmacare plan will provide universal, single-payer coverage for a range of contraception and diabetes medications.

 

In BC, this policy has already improved access to contraceptives for thousands of residents. A recent article in the Martlet reported that in the first 15 months of the program, 252,000 British Columbians access free prescription contraception: 152,200 patients accessed hormonal pills, 48,200 accessed hormonal IUDs, 9,500 patients received hormonal injections, 7,500 received a copper IUD, 7,400 had an implant, and 2,000 received a vaginal ring. 

The policy has helped increase contraception usage. Recent research from UBC found that by June 2024, of the 80,200 people in BC using long-acting reversible contraceptives (such as IUDs and implants), and 11,400 of these people would not have been had the government not enacted free prescription contraception. This research also found that the number of people using any form of prescription contraception also increased by 10%. And the policy has also reduced the number of people paying out of pocket for prescription contraception, from 37% before the policy was implemented, to only 13% in June 2024.

Learn more from our backgrounder.
 

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We are a group of people from around British Columbia calling for free prescription contraception.

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