Starting July 1st, free contraceptive access will be extended to include women up to 35 years old. Consequently, women ranging from 17 to 35 will be encompassed within the Free Contraception Scheme. This expansion has been facilitated through an extra €4 million in backing acquired via the Women’s Health Fund which is part of the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025. This step brings the scheme’s total financial allocation to €48 million for the year 2024.
The scheme effectively caters to women, girls, and individuals identifying as transgender or non-binary, who fall under the category of ordinary residents of Ireland and are judiciously deemed suitable for prescription contraception by qualified medical practitioners. The funding envelops the expenditure related to family planning, GP consultations, student health centres, primary healthcare, as well as prescriptions for an array of contraceptive methods.
The scheme’s providers include almost 2,400 GPs and 2,050 pharmacies, catering to more than 189,000 women who took advantage of the service during 2023. Speaking on the matter, Stephen Donnelly, the Health Minister, has highlighted that “gender should not form a hindrance to procuring healthcare”.
He stated, with reference to the continuation of the scheme, that the increased requirements for the service were clear and thus it was decided to broaden the access to include women from 32 to 35 years old, beginning from July 1st. He acknowledged that numerous women within this age bracket are possibly considering starting a family, considering that the average age for first-time mothers is 33.
Despite these considerations, he insisted on the necessity to support all women by guaranteeing fair access to services which allow them the freedom to manage their reproductive health and avoid unintended pregnancies. Given that hormonal contraception is a method used to control adverse symptoms of menstruation such as pain and cumbersome bleeding, Donnelly expressed his approval of the Free Contraception Scheme subsequently offering this treatment free of charge to women in the 32-35 age group.
The minister concluded by emphasizing that, in the midst of the ongoing pressure of living costs, the scheme proves to be a noteworthy advancement in striving to ensure a quality, fair health service for all.