Women's rights and sexual health advocates in Australia are calling for the government to provide free access to contraception.

In Canada, the province of British Columbia recently made prescription contraception free for all residents, following in the footsteps of the UK, Ireland, and France, which also provide free access to prescription birth control. 

However, sexual health doctors in Australia say that cost remains a barrier to accessing contraception, with some newer pills not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) costing between $70 and $90 for a three-month supply.

Professor Danielle Mazza, head of general practice at Monash University and director of the Sphere Centre of Research Excellence in women's sexual and reproductive health, says that Australia's public healthcare system is not adequately subsidising the costs associated with contraception. 

“The cost of contraception has increased because a lot of the contraceptive products are not actually on the PBS,” Professor Mazza said. 

A Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare has heard from doctors and pharmacists that the cost of contraception is a barrier to women accessing newer pills with greater benefits.

Nicole Filar, the acting deputy medical director at Sexual Health Quarters in Perth, says that cost is a “huge barrier” for some patients, and that the cost of accessing an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) in particular was a barrier for some women, especially those in rural and remote areas. 

“You're not only necessarily paying for the contraceptive device, but also the insertion cost, which was really poorly subsidised by Medicare,” she said. 

“And therefore, clinicians essentially get to decide how much they charge for that insertion … which is really variable.”

Last year, the Victorian Greens announced a plan to make contraception free as part of their election campaign in the lead up to the state election in November 2022. 

Population health spokesperson for the Victorian Greens, Tim Read, says that removing barriers to contraception is an “easy thing to do” and called for additional training and encouragement for GPs to insert IUDs.

Professor Mazza believes that Australia has not followed the lead of other countries in making contraception free because political discussion around unplanned pregnancies has traditionally been more conservative in this country. 

However, she said that there were efforts to change that, including from her own research teams. 

“I think there's quite a large and growing voice from key stakeholders and experts in the area, calling for free contraception,” she said. 

Professor Mazza said ways to make free contraception a reality in Australia could include setting up specific clinics to provide free contraception or making policy changes to reduce GP costs through reimbursement and making prescription contraception free through the PBS.