Youth should have access to confidential no-cost contraceptives: paediatricians

OTTAWA— When it comes to accessing contraception, costs and concerns about confidentiality are significant barriers for youth in Canada. That’s why the Canadian Paediatric Society is recommending that all youth have access to their choice of confidential, no-cost contraception.

More than a quarter of youth who do not wish to become pregnant do not use contraceptives consistently. Unintended pregnancies can derail life plans, and have significant personal and social costs. Adolescent parents, on average, have lower lifetime educational achievement and income, and increased reliance on social support programs.

Last year, the CPS recommended that long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) be the first-line contraceptive method for youth. Nonetheless, youth who are interested in using LARCs often choose less effective birth control because of their high up-front costs.

“Women should choose their method of contraception based on what is right for them, not on how much they can afford to pay,” said Dr. Giosi Di Meglio, an adolescent medicine specialist in Montreal and author of the CPS position statement.

Dependent youth with access to private pharmaceutical insurance face an additional barrier, since the primary policy holder – usually a parent – receives reports for each transaction. The most straightforward way to guarantee confidential access to contraception for all youth is to cover contraceptives as part of their provincial or federal health care coverage. Any strategy that involves private insurers must guarantee that youth have easy access to private family insurance without the involvement or knowledge of a parent or guardian.

Unintended pregnancies are costly to Canada’s health and social services systems. A 2015 study showed that the initial public investment to provide no-cost contraceptives to all Canadian women would come back two-fold in savings related to the medical costs of unintended pregnancies.

“It is in everyone’s best interest to help all women prevent unwanted pregnancies,” said Dr. Di Meglio. “It is especially urgent that we act to cover the most vulnerable in our community – adolescents and young adults.”

The Canadian Paediatric Society is urging federal and provincial/territorial governments to move swiftly to ensure that all youth have confidential access to no-cost contraceptives. To achieve this goal, the CPS recommends that:

• all contraceptives, including condoms, be covered under provincial/territorial or federal health plans until age 25;
• health ministries provide no-cost contraceptives to community-based health care services for youth;
• health ministries ensure that privately-insured youth have equal access to confidential, no-cost contraception;
• oral and other short-acting hormonal contraceptives continue to be available at no cost until age 25 should they become available over-the-counter.

                                                                                                                                            -30-

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Genevieve Brouillette
Media Relations Specialist
Canadian Paediatric Society
613-526-9397, ext. 247
media@cps.ca

About the Canadian Paediatric Society

The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national advocacy association that promotes the health needs of children and youth. Founded in 1922, the CPS represents more than 3,300 paediatricians, paediatric subspecialists and other child health professionals across Canada.