Increasing access to contraception in New Zealand: assessing the impact of a new funding initiative

AIM: This paper offers a grassroots view of the impact of a recent government initiative designed to increase access to contraception and improve health and social outcomes for women in New Zealand. METHOD: District health board and primary health organisation project leads were contacted to request information on how each region had chosen to configure contraception services under the new contract in August 2019, a month after the rollout of the initiative, and again in August 2020. In addition, feedback from individual general practitioners was sought via social media groups. RESULTS: There is significant variation in regional funding and provision of contraception services. Further, complex eligibility criteria can create unnecessary barriers to access for women. CONCLUSION: Variation in funding and access to contraception continues to be a feature of service provision in New Zealand and may have been exacerbated by the recent Ministry of Health funding initiative. This perpetuates inequity, particularly for vulnerable women. Urgent consideration should be given to a whole-of-system approach with contraception being free at the point of access for all women in New Zealand.