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Issue 9 September 2022

Minister for Health launches free contraception scheme for 17 to 25 year old women and people

Pictured at the Department of Health launch are (L to R): Maeve O'Brien, Interim Programme Lead for the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme; Dr Deirdre Collins ICGP representative; Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan; Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and at the Department of Health; Stephen Donnelly; Minister for Health; Mary Butler, Minister of State at the Department of Health; Dr Philip Crowley National Director, HSE Strategy & Research.

On Wednesday 14th of September, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly launched a new service to provide free prescription and emergency contraception for women aged 17-25. The free contraception service will cover the full cost of prescription contraception, including the cost of:

  • Necessary GP visits to discuss suitable contraception options with individual patients and provide prescriptions.
  • Prescriptions filled by participating pharmacies free of charge.
  • Fitting and removal of various types of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) plus any necessary checks.
  • A wide range of contraceptive options including contraceptive injections, implants, IUS and IUDs (coils), the contraceptive patch and ring, and various forms of oral contraceptive pill, including emergency contraception.
  • Emergency contraception will be available direct from pharmacies free of charge.

Information about the new scheme is available at https://www.sexualwellbeing.ie/sexual-health/contraception/free-contraception/. A digital, social and outdoor campaign will go live in the coming weeks to promote the availability the free contraception service and the contraceptive choices available on the scheme.  The Plain English guide ‘What you need to know about contraception’ is available in nine languages and will be made available in GP surgeries, Health Centres and Hospitals. The guide is available to order from www.healthpromotion.ie.

In addition, National Condom Distribution Service (NCDS) 2021 report was published by the Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme. The NCDS distributes condoms at no cost to organisations working with individuals at increased risk of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or unplanned pregnancy. The NCDS distributed 439,450 condoms and 259,603 lubricant sachets to 70 organisations in 2021. Organisations included public sector services such as public STI clinics; non-governmental organisations; and third level institutions.  To read the report, please click here: https://www.sexualwellbeing.ie/for-professionals/research/research-reports/ncds-2021_final.pdf

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