Why the pill is failing some women

The number of women receiving PBS benefits for oral contraceptives has been steadily falling over the past couple of decades, a family planning expert says.

While it’s unclear whether this downward trend is due to a preference for the newer, unsubsidised drugs or growing uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), Associate Professor Deborah Bateson is concerned there is an “equity issue” at play, with women on lower incomes locked out of the market for the new-generation pills.

Dr Bateson, who heads up Family Planning NSW, notes that only one