Manitoba pledges to remove costs of birth control
The cost of prescription contraception varies and not everyone has a drug plan to pay for it; however, Manitobans may no longer have to worry about this expense.
That’s because the province has made a promise to make prescription birth control free of charge.
As of now, there are a wide variety of birth control options available in Manitoba, but they all have a price attached to them
"Out of pocket for a patient it really can vary from $12 a month to up to $400 as a one-time cost,” said Dr.Omolayo Famuyide, the medical director at the Layo Centre.
This cost is an issue for many without drug plans or the money available.
"I have many patients who will come into our clinic who will want to choose a less effective method because of cost,” Famuyide said.
According to Kemlin Nembhard, the executive director of the Women's Health Clinic, birth control is something that people should be able to access with economic barriers.
Soon, that's exactly what will happen.
In Monday's throne speech, the new NDP government said it would make prescription birth control free.
This would make Manitoba only the second province to do this after British Columbia.
"We want to send a clear message to women and those across Manitoba who need this aspect of health care that our government is working very hard to make sure that you know your health care is a priority,” said Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara.
Dr. Michael Boroditsky, president of Doctors Manitoba and a gynecologist himself, believes this is the right way to go.
"We have a significant number of unplanned pregnancies in our province, in our country and if we can improve that to allow for more access and equitable access for the women of our province it's a win,” he said.
Lorie English from the West Central Women's Resource Centre said free access to birth control may also improve the daily lives of low-income women.
"It's very hard to get by on that amount of income,” she said.
“So when we take out of their monthly budget the cost of birth control that might mean more food on the table. That might mean a little bit less struggle paying the rent each month."
At the moment, it’s not clear what the eligibility threshold will be to qualify for the free prescription birth control, and the province hasn't said when it will begin to offer this or how it will they access it.
The province tells us it's speaking with health professionals and a variety of stakeholders.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., was arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Slovakian prime minister in life-threatening condition after being shot, his Facebook profile says
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
BREAKING Quebec court rejects McGill injunction request to remove encampment
A Quebec judge rejected McGill University's request for an injunction to remove the pro-Palestinian encampment on the university's campus in downtown Montreal.
Ottawa to acquire Quebec Bridge from CN, will spend $1 billion on span over 25 years
The federal government says it has reached a deal with Canadian National Railway Company to acquire the historic Quebec Bridge.
'Not a scarient': New COVID-19 subvariant dominant in Canada
A new COVID-19 subvariant is dominant in Canada, representing just over 30 per cent of cases in the country, but infectious disease experts say there’s no sign it’ll evolve into a summer 'scarient.'
WATCH Wildfires: Here's who's most at risk when the air quality drops
Wildfires continue to impact air quality across Western Canada with health experts and Environment Canada warning that the smoke from the blazes poses serious risks to human health.
Stormy Daniels' husband says they'll likely leave country if Trump is acquitted
The husband of adult film actress Stormy Daniels said on Tuesday that there’s a 'good chance' the couple will leave the country if former U.S. president Donald Trump is acquitted in his Manhattan criminal trial.
DEVELOPING Massive manhunt in France for prison-break gang that gunned down officers
A massive manhunt was underway in France on Wednesday for armed assailants who ambushed a prison convoy, killing two prison officers, seriously injuring three others and springing the inmate they were escorting. The prime minister vowed the gang would be caught, saying, "They will pay."
Home sales in April up 10% compared with year ago, but monthly sales slow
The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of home sales in April rose 10.1 per cent compared with a year ago, but attributed the gain primarily to the early Easter long weekend.