Opposition MLA’s were joined at the Legislature by doctors who says access to effective contraception leads to fewer unintended pregnancies and miscarriages.

“A cost analysis of universal publicly funded family planning in the United States demonstrated that for every dollar spent on family planning, the system saved over seven dollars,” said Dr. Christine Lett, Regina Area Department Lead of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “It’s time we start to seriously discuss universal no-cost contraception in Saskatchewan.”

The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada estimates that the direct cost of unintended pregnancies in Canada is more than$320 million, or about half the cost of a national contraceptive program, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal.