By Christie Bailey
Jersey often likes to call itself “world leading”, but the Island is half a century behind England when it comes to contraception access – and our government is not taking action to change this quickly enough.
Birth control has been free to all on the NHS since 1974. In Jersey today, over 50 years later, Islanders over the age of 22 still have to pay for contraception.
When Jersey’s government scrapped plans for a standalone women’s health strategy last year, it promised to focus on three key areas of concern: reforming the abortion law, expanding IVF funding criteria and improving access to contraception services.
While some slow and hard-fought progress has been made on updating abortion legislation and IVF funding criteria, it emerged this week that work to reform contraceptive services will not begin until the summer at the earliest.
And people are getting fed up with waiting.
I can’t help but feel like this glaring inaction highlights a troubling truth: women’s health is just not a priority in the Island.
Access to free contraception is not just a matter of convenience – it’s a cornerstone of healthcare and a fundamental right that disproportionately impacts the health, autonomy and economic wellbeing of women.
Jersey’s first Women’s Health and Wellbeing Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, published at the end of last year, uncovered “systemic gender inequalities” putting women and girls in Jersey at “a greater risk of poor health”.
Professional stakeholders that were interviewed as part of the report continually referenced the need for free access to contraception, and the impact it has on local women.
Birth control empowers women to make decisions about their reproductive health, enabling them to plan pregnancies and avoid unintended ones.
But the ripple effects of accessible contraception extend beyond this. When women can control their reproductive choices, they are better positioned to pursue education, maintain stable employment and contribute fully to society.
The economic benefits are also undeniable: studies show that every pound spent on contraceptive services saves significantly more through reducing unwanted pregnancies alone.
Expanding contraceptive access eases pressure on healthcare systems, lowers abortion rates, boosts women’s higher education enrolment, reduces career interruption and increases workforce participation.
Unplanned pregnancies can also lead to reliance on social benefits. Free contraception reduces this burden by enabling financial stability and family planning.
Cost barriers to contraception also unfairly impact marginalised groups of women – such as those on low income, young women, single mothers, women in abusive or controlling relationships and women in unstable housing situations.
Providing access to free birth control goes some way to address these systemic inequities. Removing cost as a barrier helps level the playing field, ensuring that reproductive healthcare isn’t a privilege but a right accessible to all.
This issue goes beyond bureaucratic delays. It is part of a wider pattern of medical misogyny – a systemic neglect of women’s health needs that leaves them sidelined.
This bias is not unique to Jersey; it is a global problem.
In the UK, the Labour government this week dropped plans for women’s health hubs in its new NHS guidance.
This decision drew sharp criticism from Dame Lesley Regan, the country’s first women’s health ambassador, who said the NHS is “designed by men for men” – and Jersey’s healthcare system has the same issue.
Women’s health concerns have historically been dismissed or deprioritised.
In Jersey, women’s health is too often treated as a niche issue rather than an integral part of public health policy. Charging for contraception over 50 years after it was made free under the NHS highlights how this systemic bias plays out right under our very noses.
It is time for Jersey’s government to take women’s health seriously. The first step is to accelerate plans to improve contraceptive services. Women cannot wait for the government to decide on actions that should have been prioritised years ago.
Access to contraception is a cornerstone of reproductive health and should be treated as such. We have waited half a century for progress. We shouldn’t have to wait a moment more.
Beyond this, Jersey needs a comprehensive women’s health strategy that addresses the full spectrum of issues – from menstrual health to menopausal care. Piecemeal solutions are not enough to tackle the systemic issues that women face.
The government must also engage meaningfully with women’s health advocates and listen to the voices of those directly affected.
Over 1,600 people completed a survey about women’s health and wellbeing last year – a testament to the public’s demand for change. These voices should not be ignored.
Contraception is healthcare. Guaranteeing free access is not only morally sound but a pragmatic investment in public health, gender equality and economic progress. It’s time to treat it as such.
Women’s health has been deprioritised for far too long, both locally and globally. It is time for Jersey’s government to step up and deliver on its promises without any more delays or excuses.
Women deserve better – not tomorrow, not next year, but now.
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Christie Bailey is the news editor of the Bailiwick Express, the JEP’s sister publication. She started working as a full-time journalist in 2022 after graduating from the University of Warwick with a first-class degree in English and theatre studies.
