Québec solidaire (QS) reiterates its election proposal on Sunday to make prescription contraceptive products free.
The party is inspired by British Columbia, which recently announced that contraception will be free for everyone starting April 1. Western Province has provided funding of $119,000 over three years, or just under $40,000 per year.
QS, for its part, estimates that this would cost Quebec $48,000 per year, but that the savings made with the reduction in costs related to unwanted pregnancies would more than compensate for this investment.
“It’s a question of dignity,” insists spokesperson Manon Massé in a telephone interview, arguing that this would allow women to freely choose the method of contraception that suits them best. “Not all contraceptives are covered in whole or in part by the Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec,” she recalls.
At the moment, “it’s as if contraception was a consumer good like the rest,” she laments, while Quebec “is rich and feminist enough” to remove this weight from the shoulders of women. .
The party also wants to distribute free menstrual products in public places like schools and libraries, as Scotland has done since 2020.
“Economically, it’s a burden on women’s wallets,” according to Ms. Massé, who recalls that some have to choose to use toilet paper or even miss their classes due to lack of funds to buy hygiene products. .
The office of the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, replied in writing that the CAQ government “will continue to promote better access to contraceptive methods”.
“You should know that the RAMQ already offers coverage of the costs related to the contraceptive pill and the IUD, whether through RAMQ programs or tax credits,” he points out. During our first mandate, we also made sure to facilitate free access to the abortion pill. »
The abortion pill was first made free in 2017, under the Liberal government of Philippe Couillard. The College of Physicians then removed some of its restrictions in 2022, which previously required the woman to have an ultrasound and the doctor to undergo specialist training before they could prescribe the drug.
“Specifically concerning menstrual products, the SCF (Secretariat for the Status of Women) is coordinating actions with the ministries concerned to ensure that access to menstrual products and contraceptives is increased,” wrote Minister Dubé’s office.