Two new reproductive health programs in B.C. are not just popular, they’re positioning the province as a national leader in access and innovation.

The number of women using intrauterine devices (IUDs) has jumped 49 per cent since the NDP government began covering 100 per cent of the cost in April 2023, according to a new study this week from the University of B.C.

IUDs are considered 10 times more effective contraceptives than pills or condoms, but were prohibitively expensive at up to $450 privately. The NDP bet that covering the cost under PharmaCare would let more women access better-quality contraceptives. They were right, according to study author and UBC assistant professor Laura Schummers.

"This really tells us that there was a substantial cost-related barrier to using contraception as a whole," Schummers told CBC News.

Not only that, but the government decision to cover the cost of most other contraceptives (including injectables and pills) drove up prescriptions for all types of birth control, according

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