Ahigh price to pay

MSP coverage would remove barriers faced by students when accessing contraceptives

 By SAFOURA RIGI-LADIZ

The recent motion put forward by Vancouver City Council to have prescription contraceptives covered through MSP could impact young people and students by removing emotional and financial barriers.

Mairi Mallett, a nurse practitioner at Langara, said if contraceptives were covered through MSP, it would create fewer barriers for young people to have access to healthcare.

“Young people sometimes find it difficult to access health services. They may not feel comfortable going to their family doctor, so having birth control covered would give people more options,” Mallett said. “If they could go to any healthcare provider they feel comfortable with, it would create less barriers for accessing services.”

Marina Adshade, a UBC professor specializing in economics of sex, gender and fertility, said she has been lobbying the provincial government to cover contraceptives for years.

Adshade said the most effective types of contraceptives, such as IUDs, have high upfront costs and can be quite expensive for students.

“The most important change that could happen here is people switching from less reliable, intermittent contraceptives to more longer acting, more expensive contraceptives that are more reliable,” Adshade said.

Teale Phelps Bondaroff is the chair and co-founder of AccessBC, a campaign that advocates for contraceptive coverage in B.C.

Bondaroff said the issue of equality is central to fair coverage.

“Just because someone has a uterus, they incur more costs in order to exercise choices over their body,” Bondaroff said. “That’s a matter of equality.”

Coun. Christine Boyle, who pushed for the motion alongside councillor Jean Swanson, said contraceptive coverage would give people choice over their own bodies, regardless of age or income.

“It’s a fundamental piece of reproductive choice that you should really have regardless of income or other barriers,” she said.

Boyle said students who are vocal about their support for contraceptive coverage can really make a difference.

“Students can get involved in that way and tell their provincial MLA why this would make a real difference for them in their life.”

Speaking at last week’s Langara protest, which attracted some 60 demonstrators, Wilson told fellow activists not to talk to the media. In an interview with The Voice, Wilson said Canadians should use resources available to teach themselves about the rights of Indigenous people.

“It’s Canadians’ responsibility to take the time to learn the truth,” Wilson said. “Indigenous people can’t keep constantly trying to teach you guys about this.”

Rima Wilkes, a UBC professor who specializes in the media and First Nations, felt media coverage of the Wet’suwet’en protests has improved on past coverage. However, Wilkes, who has researched Oka, said there are still contentious issues around how reporting on the conflict has been handled. She said while the protests are in the public interest, upholding one’s rights shouldn’t be questioned.

“Asking people what they think about Indigenous rights is inherently problematic because what they think is irrelevant,” she said, adding the topic was difficult as the protestors are very courageous, but also that the issue raises tensions.

“If you have rights, whether the majority agrees with your rights or not is beside the point.”

Kesley Pepion, a supporter who demonstrated last week at Langara, emphasized that the demonstrations were about more than just the pipeline route, there were greater implications.

“It’s a bigger cause. It’s not just the pipelines. It’s about Indigenous rights and respecting our treaties.”