REBECCA WHITE, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING: Good morning, everybody. We’ll get started. Thank you very much. This is Women’s Health Week, and we’re really excited to be speaking about some of the fantastic initiatives the Albanese Labor government has invested in to support women to have access to the healthcare that they deserve. Women's health is a national priority for our government, and we have invested nearly $800 million in a package of initiatives that have supported women to access the health care that they need, wherever they may live. It is about making it easier for them to have choice over their bodies and their health needs, making it more affordable and of course for them to live better and healthier lives.
Today is not only Women's Health Week, but it marks the fact that one million women have benefited from accessing cheaper medicines because of our landmark women's health package. This has meant one million women have been able to fill 4 million scripts, saving $150 million. So, this is not only supporting women to access the health care that they need, but to make sure they can afford the other things in their life because health care is no longer a significant out-of-pocket cost for them.
I'm joined today by Ni, who's a young woman who can speak to exactly what this has meant for her and others just like her around the country who've been able to benefit from cheaper contraceptives. Through our listing on the PBS we've been able to make more affordable contraceptives, menopause medication and endometriosis medication available to one million women right around the country. This is a significant milestone, one we're really proud of, and it speaks to our investment in women’s health.
NIRANJANA GHOSH, PROJECT OFFICER AT SHARE (SEXUAL HEALTH ADVOCATES FOR REPRODUCTIVE EQUITY): I started using contraception about two years ago, and I was using it to manage my PMOS and heavy periods as well. So, it's kind of a 3-fold medication that I needed to access. And at the time I was using a brand name called Yasmin and that was $68 out of pocket, and that was every 3 months that I had to pay that. And since the PBS subsidies have been introduced, it's been $25, which has been amazing for me. It’s now way easier for me to manage all 3 of my conditions and has significantly improved my wellbeing as well.
As part of a youth run campaign called SHARE, A few of us young people did a survey about the cost of contraceptives around Australia and about 100 young people told us that they were having to choose between buying groceries and contraceptives, and a lot of them obviously had to buy their groceries over contraceptives, and we also found that many young people were struggling to afford the type of contraceptive that they really require. So, whether that be a higher priced one that had special benefits, whether that be managing with endometriosis or acne, things like that. Those are often really hard to access. And yeah, it was really difficult for young people that were going through the cost-of-living crisis, and I think this has made a big impact on their lives.