AccessBC

Press Release - September 21, 2026

 

Canada should unite around what makes us stronger: Universal access to contraception​​

On World Contraception Day, AccessBC celebrates the success of BC’s free contraception program and calls for universal coverage across Canada
 

Victoria, BC - On World Contraception Day (September 26th), the AccessBC Campaign will be celebrating one of BC’s most successful reproductive health policies and calling on governments across Canada to ensure that everyone in the country can benefit from universal, no-cost prescription contraception.
 

On April 1, 2023, BC became the first province in Canada to make most prescription contraceptives free, covering a wide range of options including most oral contraceptive pills, injections, hormonal rings, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, and emergency contraception (i.e. Plan B). As of July 31, 2026, approximately 441,000 people have benefited from the program.

 

“This policy has been transformative,” said Devon Black, co-founder and national liaison for AccessBC. “Three years in, we are still hearing from patients how free contraception has made it possible to protect their health and plan their futures.”
 

“When we launched AccessBC nearly ten years ago, we knew that making contraception free would change lives, but we could not have imagined how impactful this policy would be. Seeing hundreds of thousands of British Columbians access free contraception is an extraordinary milestone, and it is a testament to what people can accomplish when we organize and push for change,” said Teale Phelps Bondaroff, co-founder and Chair of AccessBC. “On World Contraception Day, as we take a moment to celebrate how far we have come, we must also remember that there’s more work to be done. BC has shown what is possible, and now it is time to see this policy across Canada.”
 

The impact of the program goes well beyond the number of people who have received free contraception. Recent research published in JAMA Health Forum found that BC’s universal contraception policy reduced patients’ out-of-pocket spending on contraception by 83% within two years. The study found average savings of $43 per contraceptive user per year, with the greatest financial benefits experienced by people in their 20s.
 

The findings come as Canadians across the country continue to struggle with prescription drug costs. Nearly one-quarter of Canadians (22%) are splitting pills, skipping doses, or deciding not to fill or renew a prescription due to cost, according to a 2024 Leger poll. Canada remains the only country with universal health care that does not also have universal coverage for prescription medications.
 

The policy is also giving people greater freedom to choose the contraceptive method that works best for them. Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), like IUDs and implants, more effective and cheaper long-term than oral contraceptive pills but high upfront cost can be a barrier to use. Research published in the BMJ showed a 49% increase in dispensation after prescription contraception was made free in BC. These researchers estimated that 15 months after the policy, 11,375 more individuals were using LARC than expected without the policy.
 

“These results show that when we remove cost as a barrier, people have more meaningful choices,” said Dr. Ruth Habte, OBGYN and AccessBC Campaign Organizer. “Part of reproductive justice is that everyone has what they need to make the decision that's right for them, not just the right to choose, but the means to act on it. Free contraception is a key part of this as it doesn't tell people what choice to make; it makes sure cost isn't the thing deciding for them.”

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The BC Ministry of Health confirmed to AccessBC that as of July 31, 2026, approximately 441,000 people had accessed free contraception since the inception of BC’s program on April 1, 2023. This includes approximately:
 

• 250,000 people who accessed oral contraceptive pills;

• 120,000 who accessed hormonal IUDs;

• 19,000 who accessed contraceptive implants;

• 18,000 who accessed copper IUDs;

• 15,000 who accessed hormonal injections;

• 8,000 who accessed vaginal rings; and

• 110,000 who accessed emergency contraceptive pills.
   

The Ministry notes that someone may have accessed more than one contraceptive type during this period, so these figures cannot be added together to calculate the total number of people who benefited.
 

“BC showed what is possible when we decide that access to life-saving and life-changing medicine should not depend on how much someone can afford to pay,” said Phelps Bondaroff. “This is a policy that improves health outcomes, makes life more equal, supports reproductive autonomy and health, and saves governments and people money. I am proud of BC’s reproductive justice leadership, and now it is time to see this policy across Canada.”
 

While federal pharmacare was passed in October 2024, only British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and the Yukon have signed agreements for universal coverage of diabetes medications and contraceptives to date. AccessBC is calling on the Carney government to resume bilateral negotiations with every province and territory that does not yet have a pharmacare agreement, and to make existing agreements permanent beyond March 2029.
 

“In Canada, we believe people should be able to make meaningful choices about their health and their bodies,” said Anahita Seraji, AccessBC Pain Management Campaign Coordinator. “A strong and united Canada should be grounded in the things that make Canadians proud: universal health care, equality, and respect for personal autonomy. BC has shown us what that can look like in practice. Now we need to make sure people across Canada have access to that same freedom.”

“Canada is at its best when we come together around the values we share, including the belief that everyone should be able to access the health care they need. BC’s free prescription contraception program has put those values into action, helping hundreds of thousands of people access medications they need, save money, and exercise reproductive autonomy,” said Phelps Bondaroff. “BC has shown what is possible, and now we have an opportunity to build on that leadership and make free prescription contraception available to people across the country.”

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