Health advocates call for publicly funded birth control in Nova Scotia
![Birth control pills Hormonal birth control pills are seen in this stock photo.. (areeya_ann / Istock.com)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2017/3/23/birth-control-pills-1-3337436-1631186595220.jpg)
Publicly funded birth control would save money and improve the health of Nova Scotians, doctors and health advocates in the province said Tuesday.
International research indicates barrier-free contraceptives are an inexpensive way to improve overall health and come with cost savings over the long term, Dr. Melissa Brooks, a Halifax gynecologist and obstetrician, told an all-party government committee.
"The one area I think Nova Scotia could make great advances in reproductive services is in providing universal access to contraceptives," Brooks testified.
Birth control is not provincially funded, but abortion services are covered. Birth control costs about $30 per month, and a five-year intrauterine device is about $400. Surgical abortions, meanwhile, cost the government about $2,000 per procedure.
In a typical year, 1,300 to 1,500 abortions take place in Nova Scotia, Brooks said.
Brooks was joined Tuesday at the legislature by six other health professionals -- doctors, a nurse, the co-ordinator for Sexual Health Nova Scotia and the president of the Nova Scotia Health Authority -- to discuss the status of reproductive health in the province.
Following the meeting of the standing committee on health, Michelle Thompson, minister of health, said the government will consider birth control funding while it reviews the province's pharmacare program.
"We're open to it," she told reporters outside the legislature.
"We just need to understand that fulsome review to help us consider all the requests and all the options in front of us."
It's in the health minister's mandate to review the list of drugs and medical devices that are covered under pharmacare, which offers partial drug rebates to Nova Scotians without private drug coverage.
According to the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, there are nearly 150,000 residents without private drug insurance.
Brooks says the provincial pharmacare program "does not fill the gap adequately," adding that in her experience, residents who are eligible for the program may still have to pay full price for birth control.
Martha Paynter, a nurse and the chair of a health equity advocacy group, says publicly funded contraception will significantly improve people's health.
"When people can plan for their families, evidence shows they are better able to care for their families, complete education, achieve employment and are less likely to experience intimate partner violence and poverty," Paynter told the committee.
The Nova Scotia NDP tabled a bill in March 2021 to publicly fund birth control, but it was not adopted.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2022.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6954857.1720387155!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Alice Munro's daughter says mom kept silent when stepfather sexually abused her
The youngest daughter of celebrated Canadian author Alice Munro has opened up about sexual abuse by her stepfather and the deep hurt she felt when her mother chose to support her husband instead of her child.
France election: Left-wing coalition wins most seats, beating far-right party
A coalition of the French left that quickly banded together to beat a surging far right in legislative elections won the most seats in parliament but not a majority, according to polling projections Sunday, a stunning outcome that threatens to plunge the country into political and economic turmoil.
Bus crashes into electrical pylon, causing massive power outage on the South Shore
Tens of thousands of households on Montreal's South Shore have been without electricity since Saturday night after a bus crashed into an electrical pylon.
Ottawa councillor, residents condemn arrival of 'hateful' group Diagolon 'Terror Tour'
A community group and an Ottawa city councillor have come forward to condemn the arrival of the far-right group Diagolon after it brought its 'Road Rage Terror Tour' to Ottawa over the weekend.
Planning a last-minute summer vacation? Here's how to save money
Summer is already in full swing, but there is still time to plan a vacation — and even save some money, while you're at it.
'Meltdown': A week later, WestJet continues to feel the fallout from mechanics strike
One week after it ended, WestJet continues to feel the effects of a mechanics strike that nearly shut down the airline's network for 29 hours.
ANALYSIS Why are Trudeau and Singh avoiding Stampede this year?
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
As Biden continues campaigning, some House Democrat leaders say he should step aside
Some leading congressional Democrats privately suggested it was time for U.S. President Joe Biden to abandon his reelection bid.
Woman dies at Rolling Stones concert in Vancouver
A woman attending the Rolling Stones concert at BC Place died Friday night, police confirmed.