Support the Campaign for Free Prescription Contraceptives

Prescription contraceptives are expensive, and this barrier to access disproportionately impacts working class and poor people, especially women. It’s time to promote gender equality and better health outcomes with free prescription contraceptives. That’s why we endorse AccessBC. 

The following motion was adopted at our March regular meeting: 

Subject: Access BC

BECAUSE Access BC is a campaign calling for free access to prescription contraceptives through the BC public health care system; and

BECAUSE removing all barriers to accessing contraception is a powerful affirmation of the right of women to determine for themselves when and whether to become pregnant and bear children, a right supported in both federal and provincial arenas; and

BECAUSE providing free access to contraceptives is good health policy in both the preventive and therapeutic spectra. The measure will improve health outcomes for mothers and infants by reducing the risks associated with unintended pregnancy, particularly among adolescents and by maximizing the health benefits and outcomes of preparing for planned pregnancy; and

BECAUSE the investment will yield a significant return in reduced public expenditure beyond the cost; and
BECAUSE the availability of publicly funded contraception will have a significant impact on normalizing the conversation about sexual and reproductive health, and on increasing the likelihood that school sexual health curriculum includes comprehensive, factual and non-judgmental information on contraceptive use,

THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL endorse and promote Access BC and its call for free prescription contraceptives.

Send a message to your MLA, and learn more about the campaign, on the AccessBC website.