Free contraception should be made available to all women aged 17 to 55

GP and IMO member Dr Aideen Brides: 'We all know you need contraceptive care up until the age of 55, so for 19 years for private patients nothing is covered.' Picture:  Shane O'Neill/ Coalesce

Free contraception should be available for all women aged 17 to 55 and GPs should be funded to advise women on osteoporosis and menopause, a GP has urged.

Dr Aideen Brides addressed the Irish Medical Organisation’s AGM over the weekend in Killarney.

She welcomed the free contraceptive scheme which benefits women from 17 to 36 currently.

“I think we’d all agree we’d like to build on what’s there already, and to extend this so contraceptive care is free for all women from the age of 17 to 55,” she said.

For private patients she said: “We all know you need contraceptive care up until the age of 55, so for 19 years for private patients nothing is covered.” 

Women with a medical card can access contraception free up to the age of 44 but not all appointments are covered.

She added: “For those between 44 and 55 who are GMS-eligible nothing is covered”, referring to medical cards.

Dr Brides said this means overall “60% of women are not covered for 20 years.”

“So what message are we giving to our women?”

Structured format for menopause care

Changes are also needed in care for older women, she explained.

“We’d like to see menopause care being provided in a structured format in general practice, ideally with two consultations per year,” she said.

“And it would be good to see a screening programme for osteoporosis care.” 

Dr Brides said before 2021 there was very little demand in Ireland for HRT to treat menopausal symptoms.

Referring to TV star Davina McCall who made a high-profile documentary on menopause and RTÉ broadcaster Joe Duffy who shared a menopause alert written by Sallyanne Brady, she said: “Dr McCall and Professor Joe Duffy decided the nation needed to be on HRT.

“And in the space of a week, all of a sudden, that’s all we were dealing with, HRT, HRT, menopause, it was all about menopause,” she said.

It was “ a lot of work”, she said due to the complexity of the appointments.

I hit my top of frustrations, when a male rang me — a long distance lorry driver — to say that Joe Duffy had told him he was in male menopause.

She welcomed the menopause hubs which run in large hospitals, but said for rural patients this is not always practical. 

She works in Monaghan town which also has a higher number of refugee women who cannot travel to Dublin for care.

“So it hasn’t worked, and menopause care needs to be provided in general practice in a structured format,” she said.

Cost, accessibility, and transport are the main issues, she said.

The IMO GP committee passed a motion calling on the HSE and Department of Health to enter talks with them on care for women’s health issues in general practice as set out in the programme for government.