Organon Canada and the Alberta Women's Health Foundation unite to raise awareness and advocate for universal access to contraception in Canada

AWHF logo (CNW Group/Organon Canada Inc.)

Organon Canada logo (CNW Group/Organon Canada Inc.)

This World Contraception Day, organizations partner to raise awareness of the need to reduce barriers to contraception and invite others to support universal access

KIRKLAND, QC and EDMONTON, AB, Sept. 26, 2024 /CNW/ - In recognition of World Contraception Day (WCD) on September 26, Organon Canada, a subsidiary of Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global healthcare company with a focus on women's health, and the Alberta Women's Health Foundation (AWHF), a pan-provincial fundraising brand supporting the advancement of care and research in women's health, are collaborating to show their support for universal access to contraception in Canada.

Organon and AWHF are encouraging people in Canada to advocate for themselves and the women in their lives by asking their local elected officials to support universal access to contraception and the creation of a national women's health strategy, and to support women's health research aimed at improving outcomes and removing gaps in knowledge.

Nearly 50 per cent of pregnancies are unintended in Canadaⁱ, which can lead to negative impacts on mental health, cause individuals to be unprepared to become parentsⁱⁱ and have significant costs to health systems.ⁱⁱⁱ Universal access to contraception is key to addressing these challenges, including reducing healthcare costs,^iv decreasing the gender pay gap^v and the empowerment of women and people who can get pregnant.^vi

"World Contraception Day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of ensuring equitable access to contraception for all those who need it. At the Alberta Women's Health Foundation, we are proud to collaborate with organizations like Organon Canada to draw attention to this essential issue and to advance our shared goal of removing barriers," declares Sharlene Rutherford, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Alberta Women's Health Foundation. "By raising awareness and supporting critical research, our goal is to ensure every woman can make informed choices about her health and her future."

Affordability can be a significant barrier to access to contraception for many people across Canada, falling particularly on women and people who can get pregnant.^vii While progress has been made in provinces like British Columbia^viii and Manitoba^ix, along with support from federal policymakers, further advocacy is needed to break down barriers to contraception access for all Canadians.

"Sixty years ago, access to contraception started a change in reducing certain gender inequalities in the workplace as women were empowered to plan their careers,"^x says Michael Casia, President and Managing Director at Organon Canada. "At Organon Canada, we advocate for a future where gender equity in the workplace is the industry standard and just last year, we proudly declared our support for universal access to contraception.^xi Now, we're continuing to build on this momentum through our collaboration with AWHF to encourage industry-wide movement on the issue."

"Contraceptives are more than a tool for family planning or preventing pregnancy—they are essential components of healthcare for women," says Dr. Donna Vine, Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI) researcher, University of Alberta Professor, and founder of PCOS Together. "For women with conditions like PCOS, they alleviate menstrual and hormonal symptoms that impact day to day life and offers control over their health and well-being. Universal access to contraceptives isn't just about choice; it's about ensuring that every woman, regardless of her circumstances, can access the health care she needs. It's time to remove the barriers to access and recognize that contraceptives are essential in women's health."

With the support of Organon Canada, the Alberta Women's Health Foundation is launching a survey to gather key insights on women's behaviours, attitudes and challenges around contraception, from teenage years to post-menopause that will inform policy development.

If you live in Alberta, advocate for yourself and the women in your life by signing up to learn more and potentially participate in the AWHF's upcoming survey by visiting https://www.albertawomenshealthfoundation.org/contraception-survey.

For information on how to contact your local Member of Parliament using your postal code, visit the search engine here.

About the Alberta Women's Health Foundation

Alberta Women's Health Foundation (AWHF) is a pan-provincial fundraising brand supporting the advancement of care and research in women's health. The AWHF was launched by the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation in 2020 as an extension of its mission in women's health. This charitable health brand seeks to meet the increasing need for funding related to women's health initiatives and seeks to close gaps that exist in women's health knowledge, research, and care through the development of meaningful partnerships across public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

For more information, visit albertawomenshealthfoundation.org. Stay up to date with AWHF and our campaign to #RefocusTheResearch by following us on Twitter @abwomenshealth and Instagram @abwomenshealthfoundation.

About Organon

Organon is a global healthcare company with a focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the women's health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon's products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women's health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 10,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

For more information, visit https://www.organon.com/canada-en/  and connect with us on LinkedIn.

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ⁱ The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Your pregnancy: unintended pregnancy. 2022. Available at: https://www.pregnancyinfo.ca/your-pregnancy/special-consideration/unintended-pregnancy/. 

ⁱⁱ Guttmacher Institute. The Social and Economic Benefits of Women's Ability To Determine Whether and When to Have Children. March. 2013. Available at: https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/social-economic-benefits.pdf.

ⁱⁱⁱ Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. The Cost of Unintended Pregnancies in Canada: Estimating Direct Cost, Role of Imperfect Adherence, and the Potential Impact of Increased Use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives. 2015. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26637081/.

^iv Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. The Cost of Unintended Pregnancies in Canada: Estimating Direct Cost, Role of Imperfect Adherence, and the Potential Impact of Increased Use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives. 2015. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26637081/.

^v Guttmacher Institute. The Social and Economic Benefits of Women's Ability To Determine Whether and When to Have Children. March. 2013. Available at: https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/social-economic-benefits.pdf.

^vi National Library of Medicine. Reproductive empowerment and contraceptive self-care: a systematic review. September 21. 2022. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9336472/.

^vii The University of British Columbia, Women's Health Research Cluster. Are All Women in Canada Really Free to Choose?. 2021. Available at: https://womenshealthresearch.ubc.ca/blog/are-all-women-canada-really-free-choose.

^viii Government of British Columbia. Universal contraception coverage starts April 1. 2023. Available at: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0033-000430.

^ix Manitoba Health, Government of Manitoba. Manitoba Prescription Birth Control Program.2024. Available at: https://www.manitoba.ca/health/publichealth/contraceptives.html#:~:text=Effective%20October%201%2C%202024%2C%20the,Hormonal%20implants

^x Claudia Goldin. The Quiet Revolution That Transformed Women's Employment, Education, and Family. May 2006. Available at: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/000282806777212350.

^xi Organon Canada. On World Contraception Day, Organon Canada Declares Support for Universal Access to Contraception in Canada. September 26, 2023. Available at: https://www.organon.com/canada-en/news-release-world-contraception-day-2023/. 

SOURCE Organon Canada Inc.

Media contacts: Alberta Women's Health Foundation, Lindsay Robertson, [e-mail], 780 217-2613; Organon Canada, [e-mail], 1 450 366-1740