FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WHC statement about free birth control beginning October 1
Free birth control to commence in Manitoba on October 1, 2024

August 22, 2024 – Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, MB: The Manitoba government announced today that free hormonal contraceptives will be available to all Manitobans beginning on October 1, 2024. According to the news release sent out by cabinet communications, 60 different types of birth control will be covered through Manitoba Pharmacare.

There are several different methods of birth control, ranging in cost from free (outercourse/abstinence, getting condoms at resource centres) to hundreds of dollars per year (oral contraceptives, intra-uterine devices). This announcement will alleviate financial concerns for thousands of Manitobans and Women’s Health Clinic (WHC) looking forward to hearing more about how the plan will roll out from the province in the coming months. 

While this is a positive step for reproductive rights in our province, WHC is disappointed to see emergency contraceptives, or the “morning after” pill, as well as condoms were not included in the list of birth control options covered by Pharmacare. 

WHC has always operated on the model of people are experts of their own lives and their own needs. Not every person wants to or is able to use hormonal birth control for a variety of reasons. Condoms are 79-99% effective in preventing pregnancy (depending on usage) and are one of the only methods of birth control that also protect from STBBI’s.

“It’s unfortunate that condoms and emergency contraception are not included under the plan in its current iteration,” says Kemlin Nembhard, WHC Executive Director. “We are hoping to see them included in the future, as the costs associated with emergency contraception ($40-50 per pill) can be prohibitive for some people.”

Every year, WHC provides free birth control and pregnancy peer counselling to community members, free of charge, and provides community with emergency contraception (Plan B).