Yukon NDP will make prescription contraception free for everyone

March 8, 2021

Kate White and a Yukon NDP government will make prescription contraception free and accessible to everyone.

“People should be able to make decisions about their health based on their needs, not on the cost,” said Yukon NDP Leader Kate White. “People who can get pregnant overwhelmingly shoulder the burden of contraception costs. This is about fairness. We can do the right thing, and save people money.”

Watch Kate’s announcement here.

While condoms can be easily found for low or even no cost, and vasectomies are already covered under Yukon’s health insurance plan, prescription contraception isn’t. That leaves the cost to rest mostly on women, trans and non-binary people.

Free oral contraceptive pills will save a person as much as $10,000 over their lifetime, or $260 per year. Savings for someone using an intrauterine device (IUD) could be upwards of $3,000 in their lifetime.

“Contraception is a big cost for a lot of people,” said Copperbelt North candidate Saba Javed. “Making it free means the conversation with your doctor doesn’t have to start with ‘how much will that cost me?’, instead it can be about choosing the right option for you and your health. That’s how healthcare should always work.”

Experts have estimated that for every dollar government spends on contraception for a person, it could save up to $90 in public money that would be spent on other supports.

Today’s commitment to free prescription contraception builds on the Yukon NDP’s plan to make healthcare truly universal, including pharmacare and dentalcare.