Health

A western Canadian province announced on Tuesday that it will make prescription contraception free to all, a first in the country at a time when backsliding on women’s rights is mounting around the world.

All health-insured people can get various methods of contraception for free with a prescription starting April 1, British Columbia Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said, stressing the importance of ensuring “reproductive rights”.

Also read> “It hurts”, “It’s irreversible”, “It’s expensive”… We deconstruct conventional ideas about male contraception

“Too often these fundamental rights are attacked,” she said during her speech. “Not here in British Columbia. »

“The times when women and trans and non-binary people had to bear these costs are over,” the minister added before the state parliament.

A positive decision in the face of setbacks among women

Methods covered include most hormonal pills, implants, injections, and intrauterine devices such as the IUD and morning-after pill.

“It’s a victory for health and a victory for gender equality in our province,” added Ms. Conroy.

With birth control pills costing CA$25 a month, the provincial government estimates that people could save up to $10,000 over their lifetime.

With this announcement, the Canadian province is following in the footsteps of several European countries, notably Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, which already partially or generally subsidize contraceptives.

Also read > Natural contraception to control your cycle and fertility

The Canadian decision comes weeks after several organizations denounced the growing backlash in women’s rights around the world. In particular, they cite abortion rights revoked by the United States Supreme Court or restrictions on access to contraceptives in Poland.

With Belgium