Free Contraception is now available for women aged between 32 and 35.
The scheme has been extended from today, meaning all women aged between 17 and 35 are now covered.
The service covers the cost of consultations with GPs, family planning, student health centres, as well as prescriptions for contraceptives. Almost 2,400 GPs and 2,050 pharmacies offer services under the scheme.
Almost 190,000 women accessed the scheme in 2023.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says they've had positive feedback on the scheme since it was launched in September 2022.
"It's a very inclusive scheme. It includes consultations with your GP, the medicines, any devices, the cost of fitting any devices.
"The feedback we're getting is very strong from women who are using the scheme and are delighted that it's free, and also delighted to be able to get into their GP to have a discussion.
"We know that many women in this age group may be planning to start families, with 33 years being the average age to give birth.
"However, it's important that we continue to support women in providing access to services that allow them to control their reproductive health, avoid unintended pregnancies, and use hormonal contraceptives to treat adverse symptoms of periods.”
An intrauterine device (IUD), also known as intrauterine contraceptive coil. Minister Donnelly says he hopes to be able to make the scheme available to all women in the future.
"Ultimately what I'd love to do is make the Free Contraception scheme available to all women from the age of 16 or 17 up, because it costs so much money to fund.
"The hope would be that it would be available for all women, and it's an important step today to go from, to move up now to include those aged 32, 33, 34, and 35 as well".
