Universal access to contraception gives individuals the autonomy to make informed choices about their health and lives. It enables those who can become pregnant to plan if and when to become pregnant, leading to immediate, lifelong, and intergenerational benefits. The ability to choose if and when to have children is a critical component of sexual and reproductive health and a fundamental human right of every person.
To respect, protect, and fulfil this right, governments must ensure that contraceptive information, supplies, and services are available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality to all, not just to some. Along with the 2025 Canadian Contraception Policy Atlas, this policy paper highlights Canada’s current contraceptive landscape, the differing levels of access from province to province, and how we can make free contraception a reality across Canada.