In 1967 when Canada celebrated its Centennial, there were only two legal methods of birth control- abstinence and the “rhythm” method.
Condoms could be marketed only for the prevention of disease. People could be—and were—prosecuted for trying to teach or provide other methods of preventing pregnancies.
Terminating a pregnancy was also illegal, resulting in tragic and avoidable injury and death at the hands of “back alley” abortion providers or through incredibly dangerous self-administered methods.
How Are Things Now?
Things began changing in 1969 with the legalization of contraception and the introduction of the birth control pill. In the 1970s the federal government removed the last legal constraints on access to abortion.
Today we have access to a wide variety of safe, affordable and effective birth control options.
While not fully protected under law, women, trans men, and non-binary folx with a uterus in Canada have the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy as part of the full range of reproductive choices they consider appropriate for them.
Some groups in society continue to oppose both contraception and abortion, so all of us who support reproductive rights with regard to reproductive choice need to be vigilant in resisting any effort to restrict or eliminate those rights.