Australian Greens Pledge Free Contraceptives for Women

File photo dated 16/11/09 of a pharmacist stocking shelves at a chemist t Julien Behal/PA Wire

The Greens party has now promised free contraceptives for women to remove “financial barriers to reproductive health.”

“We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and in the face of financial stress and gender inequality, the Greens will take to the election a commitment to provide women with free access to contraceptives,” said Senator Larissa Waters, Greens spokesperson on women.

There are about 4.8 million women in Australia using contraceptives, and Waters said making them free would save them hundreds of dollars a year.

Policy Details

Waters said that the Greens’ policy would eliminate the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) co-payment, subsidise non-PBS listed contraceptives, and cover the cost of inserting intrauterine devices (IUDs).

It would also create a Medicare contraceptive counselling item, ensuring that all parts of the process are free to the patient.

“Our policy would make sure people can access the contraception that works for them, regardless of their bank balance and whether they live in the city, the country, or are studying on a visa,” said Waters.

Barriers to Accessing Contraception

Waters referenced a 2022 federal Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare, which found that cost and lack of information are major barriers preventing people from accessing the best contraceptive method for their needs.

The Greens’ policy aims to address those gaps by funding a separate Medicare item for contraceptive counselling and directly supporting recommendations from the inquiry to subsidise the non-hormonal copper IUD.

Meanwhile, an October survey on contraceptive choice has found that Australian women want more accurate information.

In addition, it showed that almost one-third of young women (aged 18 to 24) using contraception regularly experience anxiety about their current method.

The biggest barrier to trying a new contraceptive method was the fear of side effects (42 percent), followed by concerns about additional costs and time (21 percent), and not knowing enough to make informed decisions about new options (17 percent).

Government and Health Experts Respond

Reacting to the survey findings Ged Kearney, assistant minister for health and aged care, said it will help inform the government’s ongoing work supporting women’s health.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Board Chair, Dr. Lara Roeske, said ensuring access to information is the “key to improving health, wellbeing, and social outcomes.”