More women in B.C. opted for IUDs after province made birth control free, study finds

A new study shows more women opted for long-acting birth control methods after British Columbia began covering the cost, which researchers say is strong reason for Ottawa’s pharmacare plan to do the same.

The study found prescriptions for all types of birth control jumped significantly after the province began covering contraceptives in April, 2023, with a 49-per-cent jump in prescriptions for intrauterine devices (IUDs) driving the increase.