Starting on April 1, 2023, B.C. will be the first Canadian province to provide free prescription birth control to all of its citizens, including men and transgender individuals. 

The province will cover contraceptives including: the pill, subdermal injections/implants, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and Plan B. 

This decision was reached to ensure that women, transgender and non-binary people are not faced with money as a blockade for their sexual and reproductive health. 

With B.C. progressing in women’s healthcare, will Ontario follow in their footsteps? 

Currently in Ontario the cost of contraception is covered for individuals who are 24 years-old or younger, who do not have a private insurance plan. However, that excludes those over the age of 25 who have to pay hundreds of dollars a year to access contraception. 

Some students at the University of Guelph-Humber would like to see a change in Ontario’s coverage of women’s healthcare needs. 

Amber Salituro, a fourth-year media and communications student sees the importance of free contraceptives to be a way of promoting sexual health and safety, “It’s an enhanced version of making sure people are having safe sex.” 

Salituro is enthusiastic about the motion moving to Ontario,“obviously everything has to start somewhere, so having it start in one province and seeing the benefits of it there will probably make the government here also bring it into fruition.” 

These students’ hopes became a reality on March 8, 2023, when the New Democratic Party (NDP) tabled the notion to make contraceptives available under OHIP. 

“I am very proud to table this motion today to ensure that everyone has the ability to make choices about their health and family planning,” said MPP Jennie Stevens. 

Stevens acknowledged the rise of living costs in Ontario, and took that into account when addressing the new motion in the legislature, “every solution to help make life more affordable is a step we need to take.” 

The cost of the contraceptives seems to be the root of some students’ worries regarding accessibility, so OHIP’s coverage could potentially lift a weight off of not only people’s backs, but their wallets. 

“Especially with the rate of inflation [feminine products] are becoming substantially overpriced. Having those easily accessible for people that don’t have a strong, stable income would be beneficial,” said Salituro. 

Though there is a push for easier access to feminine products and coverage of women’s healthcare, some students believe that the overall topic of women’s health remains taboo. 

Salituro talked about sexual education in her early education, and recalled how the reproductive system was taught but did not venture into the specifics of early stages of puberty or periods. 

“Sometimes when you bring up your period in front of a man they’re like: ‘oh my god, stop talking about that, so gross.’ So definitely regulate it into our curriculum,” said Salituro.

According to a report titled: “Surveying the Silence, Exploring the Taboos in Women’s Health” by the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, taboos involving women’s health limit the accessibility of knowledge and healthcare. 

Allowing easier access to contraceptives and women’s healthcare to Ontario could play a role in educating others sexual health and safety in addition to breaking the stigma. 

With accessible contraception forthcoming in Ontario students are anticipating a brighter and simpler future in women’s healthcare.