Know Your Options for Contraception: PEI Marks World Contraception Day
Prince Edward Island is marking World Contraception Day on September 26 with a clear message: Reproductive health is for all Islanders.
Access to contraception helps people make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health, which strengthens families, workplaces, and communities. Everyone should have access to contraception.
Across the province, pharmacists, clinicians, nurse practitioners, midwives, and virtual care providers are working together to ensure people can get the contraception they need, when and where they need it, and they now have more options than ever.
Through Pharmacy Plus PEI, pharmacists can prescribe and dispense a wide range of contraceptives, including birth control pills, vaginal ring, contraceptive patches, and injections.
Primary-care providers, Sexual Health Options and Reproductive Services (SHORS) clinics in Montague, Charlottetown, and Summerside, virtual care providers, community health centres and pharmacies all offer confidential support and guidance.
Contraception serves many purposes beyond pregnancy prevention. It can help manage heavy or irregular periods, as well as conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and even improve acne.
Health-care providers can help determine the method that is best for you. Family physician, Dr. Laura Heron, who practices at Kinlock Medical Centre in Stratford has been a vocal advocate for accessible reproductive care in PEI.
“Contraception is a public health initiative, she says. “It’s not just for people who have a menstrual cycle; it’s for all of us. When we allow a person with a period to choose the planning of their family, it allows the economy to thrive. Providing free contraception is economically and socially smart and benefits everyone.”
Since the introduction of National Pharmacare, more than 41,000 Islanders have gained access to contraception - a meaningful step toward more equitable reproductive health care.
If you have questions or want to learn more about contraception options, visit Women and Gender Diverse People’s Health Hub. You can also talk to your primary care provider, pharmacist, or reach out to SHORS for support.