Despite increasing sexual health awareness, long-term oral contraceptives are still relatively inaccessible to young individuals within Quebec, as many fall victim to the province’s high healthcare costs and physician unavailability. This lack of uncompromised access to basic healthcare perpetuates the stagnation in promoting reproductive health in Quebec.
In October 2024, Bill C-64 (the Pharmacare Act) was established across Canada. Its objective was to allow single-payer coverage on contraceptives, boosting attainability and building the pharmacare expansion foundation. However, the Bloc Quebecois’s arguments that healthcare is a provincial matter quietly influenced the bill’s implementation into the province’s existing health insurance plan, Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).
Those in the young adult demographic who lack access to a family or employer plan typically rely on RAMQ’s Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan, which generally reimburses only up to the cost of the lowest‑price generic medication in a given class. The provincial government has failed to acknowledge that young adults residing in Quebec do not have adequate pharmacare access. Those in the young adult demographic without familial endorsement typically use RAMQ’s Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan, which covers only the lowest-price medication. If the patient can only obtain affordable medication, this option changes multiple times a year. This inconsistency can cause detrimental hormonal side effects. RAMQ lacks attentiveness to potential health compromisers, consequently disregarding healthcare nuances.
A 2025 study states that women aged 20-29 made up 58 per cent of Canada’s unintended pregnancies. Within Quebec, women in this same age group made up over one-third of all births in 2024—highlighting the disproportionate concentration of pregnancies within young adults. This range aligns with the average years of peak fertility, the pursuit of education, and when individuals learn most about their sexual preferences. These intersecting life factors illustrate why accessible contraception is particularly critical for this demographic. Another study details how even if contraceptive use is desired, individuals are fearful of facing judgment when purchasing. The lack of easy access to oral contraceptives has created a significant barrier to their use.
Furthermore, physicians in Quebec prescribing these medications already struggle with understaffing. The passing of Bill 2 now ties physicians’ salaries to province-set performance targets. The bill’s unrealistic goals exacerbate existing strain, pushing doctors to leave the province.
This problem is perpetuated through McGill’s very own Wellness Hub. It is seemingly impossible for students to receive care in a timely fashion—or get appointments at all. This inaccessibility stems from the fact that the Wellness Hub is not the primary place of employment for its healthcare workers. Physicians sign up for extra hours to work at McGill, and are not paid specific salaries. This is unfair to thousands of McGill students who may otherwise struggle to access care.
Ruba Ghazal, Québec Solidaire’s co-spokesperson and leader of the second opposition group at the National Assembly of Quebec identified this inaccessibility struggle. In May 2025, she proposed Bill 994, or the Act to foster sexual and reproductive health through improved access to contraception. Its objectives include improving anonymity and destigmatization, enhancing personal autonomy, reducing unplanned pregnancies, and alleviating societal inequalities.
If the bill is passed, its desired implementation would occur in four divisions. Ghazal’s first proposed stage allows individuals under the RAMQ free access to contraceptives, also offering coverage to unhoused people, minors, and others. The second stage will design pilot projects that enable designated professionals (such as midwives and nurses) to administer contraception—a role typically reserved for physicians. The final measures touch on awareness and privacy. Stage three describes confidential distribution methods for prophylactics across high schools, colleges, and universities, and the fourth implements mandatory sexual education in grade schools. Bill 994 would grant Quebec the opportunity to promote a more nuanced approach to fundamental healthcare.
Thus far, safety concerns have prevented the bill’s approval. Politicians are worried that the administration of such medication from non-physicians risks a lack of open familial communication, as well as poor medication quality. Families have expressed concern that minors could access high-impact medications without guardian consent or knowledge of potential implications, particularly if prescribed by non-physicians without full understanding of the patient’s health. But granting these responsibilities to other notable care providers proactively addresses the healthcare understaffing issue. Allowing the distribution of all contraceptive brands without cost ensures increased access to effective medication. Consequences like unplanned pregnancy are greater risks when individuals have concealed, unprotected sex—not concealed, protected sex.
Furthermore, Bill 994 would save the Quebec government money. According to Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights, for every $1 CAD put into covering contraceptive costs, $9 CAD is saved in pregnancy-related fees.
Ghazal’s Bill 994 allows young adults to access a basic form of healthcare while offering solutions to Quebec’s pharmacare challenges through the Free Access to Contraception Program. With creativity and a humanitarian approach, Ghazal has shown that working to rebuild a broken system is possible—it just requires the right mindset.
