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Market Watch
Canadian government legalized contraception for birth control in June 1969
TORONTO, ONTARIO, Jun 30, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Pour voir la version francaise de ce communique, visitez le lien suivant :
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=1011191&lang=F5
Editors Note: There is one video and two audio files associated with this release.
Few developments have impacted choice for Canadian women as impressively as the government’s legalization of all forms of contraception for birth control use in June 1969.(i) Prior to this, use of contraception for birth control was illegal and could only be prescribed by physicians to women who needed help regulating their menstrual cycle.(ii)
Legalization gave Canadian women the right to prevent pregnancy, but it was also an important stepping stone for other freedoms for women, including equality in education and jobs.
What’s exciting about this ruby anniversary is how legalization paved the way for important contraceptive innovations, giving today’s women even more choice and empowerment. Four decades later, women enjoy access to a variety of safe and effective choices, including:
- Daily options, like the pill – The pill (also known as an oral contraceptive or OC) like other contraceptives that contain both an estrogen and a progestin, is called a combination hormonal contraceptive (CHC). The pill is administered once-daily and must be taken at approximately the same time each day.
- Weekly options, like the patch – The patch, like other contraceptives that contain both an estrogen and a progestin, is called a combination hormonal contraceptive (CHC). The patch slowly releases hormones through your skin over a period of seven days and is administered once-weekly.
- Monthly options, like the contraceptive ring – The contraceptive ring, or NuvaRing(R), is a slow release, soft, flexible, clear plastic ring measuring 54 millimetres in diameter (approximately 2 inches). The contraceptive ring, like other contraceptives that contain both an estrogen and a progestin, is called a combination hormonal contraceptive (CHC) and is a once-a-month regimen.
- Quarterly options, like the injectable contraception – The injectable contraceptive (or “the shot”) is an injection that is given in the arm or buttocks 4 times per year. It contains only one hormone (a progestin) and does not contain estrogen.
- Multi-yearly options, like the hormonal IUD – The hormonal intrauterine device or IUD is a T-shaped device that contains a 5-year dose of the progestin, levonogestrel, which is released slowly over time and acts on the lining of the uterus.
The year 2009 is a milestone for contraception in Canada as it represents 40 years of legal access to contraception. Today there are many choices of hormonal contraceptive available. It’s important to do your own research and speak with your doctor about the advantages and disadvantages of the different available types of hormonal contraceptive and choose the one that best fits your needs.
For more information and tips on how to get the most out of your doctor’s visit, www.mybirthcontrol.ca.
To view the video associated with this release, please visit the link below:
http://archives.cbc.ca/health/reproductive_issues/clips/3044/
To listen to the audio files associated with this release, please visit the links below:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/BCComesFullCircleENGANR1.mp3
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/BCComesFullCircleENGANR2.mp3
References:
(i) CBC Digital Archives. Legalizing Contraception. archives.cbc.ca/version_print.asp?page=1&IDLan=1&IDClip=3044&IDDossier=0&IDCat=325&IDCatPa=258. Last Accessed May 27, 2009.
(ii) CBC News. In Depth Health. Birth control: The options for pregnancy prevention, January 10, 2008. www.cbc.ca/news/background/health/birth-control.html. Last accessed May 13, 2009.
Contacts: Edelman Marsha Knoll 416-979-1120 ext. 329 Marsha.knoll@edelman.com
Comment from Leslie
Ya gottat love it when women’s health issues end up in the business section of the news. Yup – money to be made off of women’s bodies…
So let me make the point that in 40 years – there have been no breakthroughs in 100% risk-free contraceptives – and the hormonal methods above put women at risk for estrogenic cancers and infertility. But, hey – that is why the news item is in the business section right? What woman reads the part of the news?
As long as billions of dollars flow into the pockets of Big Pharma the mortifying truth about hormone-based contraceptives will receive little to no attention in the news. The fact is, millions of women experience horrible side-effects from the pill, the ring, the patch and injectable birth control methods. Among those millions, many have suffered massive injury or have died from stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, blood clots, etc.
The media and pharmaceutical companies downplay the phenomenon pretending that it only happens rarely and to women within a certain demographic — 35+ smokers — but this is far fro the truth. Women as young as 16 have suffered pulmonary embolisms from the combination hormone pill.
It is time for women to take back their bodies through natural fertility management.
Thank you, Valorie for visiting my blog and commenting on this article – your voice is always welcome here. There is a lot of information on this blog for women to learn more about their hormone cycles. There has been a blatant lack of information about hormonal health and menstrual health that has hurt women considerably – all the while filling the coffers for Big Pharma.