Health committee  Absolutely. Even if we want every woman to be able to choose the method of her choice, as I said, 15% to 20% of women will have problems with pain, with bleeding or with fibroids that may grow over time. They'll use a contraceptive method for the side effect, because we know that it will treat the problem.

Health committee  First of all, I think cost is definitely one of them, especially in choosing long-term contraceptives like the IUD or the patch. The finance around it is really the biggest barrier. Second, something that we don't talk enough about is the coercive aspect of contraception. A woman will pay for 30 years.

Health committee  I'll let you play politics. I'll just stick to the medical side of things. Obviously, these are excellent questions and they should be asked. Nothing is free. That's Canada's issue. In my current role, I work a great deal with other countries, including England and Australia. Their systems are comparable to ours.

Health committee  Of course, I don't know all the state secrets. I think that our system in Quebec was a good starting point. It would be good for the other provinces to also reap the benefits of this system. However, I can't know how the negotiations will go, since I don't have access to these secrets.

Health committee  Well, 15% to 20% of women have many problems related to their period. There could be a hemorrhage or bleeding problems that they experience. It could be endometriosis, with which they have pain. When they are using a hormonal contraceptive method, these symptoms are all alleviated.

Health committee  Absolutely. We are afraid of what's happening to our neighbours down south. We have to make sure all Canadian women will have the right to question and to engage in their sexual reproductive rights.

Health committee  Thank you for that question. We have been lucky, in that B.C. started earlier. They have been covering contraception for a year now. From all the good news we hear about it, it's obvious that it's making a change, so we're eager to know all the numbers and the results associated with this coverage.

Health committee  The major benefit is that it takes money out of the equation. In other words, it gives us the opportunity to discuss the benefits of the plan for a specific individual. We want the same model as the one implemented in British Columbia. That said, patches weren't included in that province's model.

Health committee  Absolutely. Thank you for this question, because it's really, really important. I'll give you two quick examples that are easy to understand. In 2006, I was president of the obstetrics and gynecology society of Quebec, and we made a presentation to the government to have the hormonal IUD covered.

Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. My name is Dr. Diane Francoeur. I am a practising obstetrician and gynecologist, as well as the chief executive officer of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. I am here today to discuss the aspect of Bill C-64 that proposes to offer universal coverage of a full range of contraceptives for Canadian women.

Foreign Affairs committee  First of all, it is important to remember that we are privileged in Canada and that free medication is available to women. That being said, we still need to see those women. I work at the Sainte-Justine university hospital centre, the main mother-child AIDS centre in Quebec. For years, the transmission rate was zero.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for your question. Let me clarify that I am not just a chief executive officer. I am also an obstetrician-gynecologist and I work in your constituency at the Sainte-Justine university hospital centre, the mother and child university hospital centre. In the past year, a very large number of immigrant women who do not speak English or French have arrived in Canada.

Foreign Affairs committee  I will ask Dr. Cook, who is in charge of our wonderful maternal mortality reduction project, to tell you about the data, because it's a real problem.

Foreign Affairs committee  —and we hope to be able to answer your questions.

Foreign Affairs committee  Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. My name is Diane Francoeur and I am the chief executive officer of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, or SOGC. With me today is Dr. Jocelynn Cook, who is our chief scientific officer. We thank you for this opportunity today to speak with you about sexual and reproductive health and rights of women globally.