BACKGROUNDER
Next Generation Reproductive Health
The Conservative Party of BC is committed to ensuring that women have access to world-class reproductive health supports. We believe in providing real support for women and families at every step of their reproductive journey, whether they are navigating fertility challenges, dealing with pregnancy loss, or making decisions about their long-term health.
Unfortunately, the NDP government has failed to raise reproductive services in BC to the standards found in other jurisdictions. We believe BC women and families deserve the best reproductive services possible.
The Conservative Party of BC will take action to expand access to fertility services, expand midwife care, reduce barriers to adoption, support women who have endured pregnancy loss, and invest in lifesaving research. Our 5-point plan for next generation reproductive healthcare will raise reproductive supports to the standard that women deserve.
Expanding access to fertility treatments
For many couples, the journey to starting a family can be challenging. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a breakthrough technology that offers many couples the opportunity to start the family of their dreams.
Unfortunately, high costs and limited capacity mean many BC couples are unable to access IVF treatment. To reduce barriers to IVF treatment, the Conservative Party of BC will:
- Fund second-round IVF treatments: We will increase support for couples seeking fertility treatments by providing funding for first- and second-round in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, including for clinics outside BC until our capacity shortage is addressed.
- Expand IVF capacity in BC by working in partnership with private sector experts to expand capacity in fertility clinics, ensuring that couples can access timely and effective care.
Supporting women after pregnancy loss
The emotional and physical toll of a miscarriage is often overwhelming, and women deserve the time and space to heal. The Conservative Party of BC will:
- Introduce 1 month of paid compassionate leave for women who suffer miscarriage, ensuring women have the support and space needed to recover from miscarriage - without worrying about the pressures of work.
Training more midwives to support families
Midwives play a vital role in supporting women through pregnancy and childbirth, yet many regions lack enough trained professionals to meet demand. The Conservative Party of BC will:
- Establish a midwife degree program in Surrey: Working in partnership with an established post-secondary institution, we will establish a midwife degree program in Surrey to address the shortage of qualified midwives. Currently, the only midwife program in BC is located at UBC’s Point Grey campus.
- Launch a 2-year degree conversion program for nurses, allowing registered nurses to transition into midwifery and further strengthen our healthcare workforce.
Adoption: For loving and permanent homes
Every child deserves a loving family, and for many couples, adoption offers a fulfilling path to parenthood. We will support families looking to adopt by:
- Lowering financial barriers to adoption: The Conservative Party will reduce costs to families pursuing adoption, helping to offset the often high costs associated with the process and ensuring that more children can find permanent and loving homes.
Fighting cervical and ovarian cancer
Cervical and ovarian cancers remain serious threats to the health and reproductive freedom of women in BC. Conservatives believe more must be done to expand research, detection, and treatment to save the lives of women and allow couples to start the families they’ve always hoped for. The Conservative Party of BC will:
- Invest in cervical cancer prevention and research through education and awareness programming, enhanced screening options, expanded treatment research at UBC, and making the HPV vaccine free to all women.
- Build on the success of OVCARE, a made-in-BC global leader in ovarian cancer research. We will work with OVCARE researchers to identify the resources needed to increase the impact of its world-leading research.
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Conservatives are committed to ensuring that women have access to the reproductive health services they need. By expanding fertility treatment options, supporting women after pregnancy loss, increasing the availability of midwives, providing adoption support, and investing in critical health research, we will build a system that empowers women and supports families.
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