It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Cumulative radiation exposure poses hidden risk for older adults in research studies, new study warns
Researchers call for standardized lifetime radiation screening before enrolling participants in imaging research studies — and offer a practical protocol others can adopt
Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
A new study highlights a critical gap: most clinical research studies that use imaging techniques such as amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans do not account for the radiation participants have already received from prior medical procedures. As brain imaging technology becomes more widely used in medical research — especially following recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of new Alzheimer's treatments — questions are emerging about how much radiation research participants are accumulating over a lifetime of medical scans. While radiation exposure from PET imaging is generally considered acceptable when used in direct patient care, the risks are less clear-cut when exposure occurs solely for research purposes, particularly when participants may not directly benefit. The researchers developed and tested a systematic screening protocol to address this gap — and found it made a meaningful difference in protecting participant safety.
To fill this gap, the team developed a radiation safety screening protocol and implemented it in the Successful Aging after Elective Surgery (SAGES) study, a long-term research study examining adults aged 70 and above. When the screening procedure was applied to 101 prospective research participants, 17% — nearly 1 in 5 — were found to have received enough prior radiation to be deemed ineligible for the amyloid PET component of the study. Because older adults often accumulate radiation from years of diagnostic imaging, their total lifetime dose may exceed safe thresholds for additional elective research-related exposure — a factor that research investigators have not been systematically accounting for.
"Imaging with exposure to ionizing radiation has become increasingly common for both clinical and research applications. When used for research purposes, the risks of additional exposure to radiation need to be carefully considered, particularly for research studies that may not directly benefit the participant. To assess risk for participation in an imaging study, we developed and implemented a safety screening procedure to estimate prior radiation exposure and assure safe study participation. We propose that clinicians and researchers consider implementing a similar method for estimating prior radiation exposure to enhance research participant safety," said the study's lead author, Tamara G. Fong, MD, PhD, Associate Scientist, the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife.
The authors call for a standardized approach to tracking cumulative radiation exposure across a lifetime, ensuring that research participants — especially older adults who may have had many diagnostic scans over the years — are not unknowingly placed at increased risk when volunteering for research that may not directly benefit them. By developing and sharing their screening protocol through the SAGES study, the researchers provide a practical, replicable model that other investigators can adapt for their own research studies.
This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging under project grants P01AG031720 and R33AG071744.
In addition to Fong, the researchers in the study were Madeleine Martine, MA, Research Staff, Aging Brain Center, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Cole Heine, Research Staff, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Yonah Joffe, MS, Research Staff, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Julianna Liu, Research Staff, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Mackenzie Topper, Research Staff, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Eva M. Schmitt, PhD, Research Scientist, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife; Phillip H. Kuo, MD, PhD, Professor of Medical Imaging, Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona; Carrie A. Redlich, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine (Occupational), Yale School of Medicine; Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, Director, Aging Brain Center, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife.
About Hebrew SeniorLife Hebrew SeniorLife is a national leader working to create a world where aging is defined by possibility, not limitation. We care for more than 4,500 older adults each day across seven campuses throughout Greater Boston, and offer support for families in the aging journey. Our services include in-home care, outpatient therapies, an outpatient memory clinic, short- and long-term inpatient care, hospice, independent and assisted living, and affordable housing with services. We conduct influential research on aging at our Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a grant portfolio of $87 million, and train future health care workers at the Lunder CareForce Institute. Hebrew SeniorLife is a Harvard Medical School affiliate.
About the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research Scientists at the Marcus Institute seek to transform the human experience of aging by conducting research that will ensure a life of health, dignity, and productivity into advanced age. The Marcus Institute carries out rigorous studies that discover the mechanisms of age-related disease and disability; lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of disease; advance the standard of care for older people; and inform public decision-making.
Development and Implementation of a Radiation Safety Screening Protocol for a Clinical Study Using Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography Imaging
Article Publication Date
28-May-2026
COI Statement
This research was supported financially by the National Institute on Aging under project grants P01AG031720 and R33AG071744. Otherwise, the authors have no financial or proprietary interest in the subject matter of this article.
BU/VA researcher receives grant to study intimate partner violence interventions
(Boston)—Casey Taft, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has been awarded a $298,139 grant from Arnold Ventures to fund his 4-year project, “Evaluating Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Use in Washington State.”
Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically physical and psychological aggression toward an intimate partner, represents a public health crisis that affects millions of Americans each year. It contributes to a range of mental and physical health conditions in survivors. Children exposed to IPV are at an increased risk for psychological, social, emotional and behavioral problems, and are also more likely to engage in intimate partner violence later in life.
“Right now, no truly evidence-based intervention exists to prevent and end the perpetuation of IPV in the general population. Prior analyses show that those referred to IPV intervention programs demonstrate only a 7% reduction in criminal violence recidivism relative to untreated groups. This lack of demonstrated intervention effectiveness is troubling, considering that approximately half a million men and women are court mandated to more than 2,500 of these programs each year,” explains Taft, who also is an internationally recognized psychologist at the National Center for PTSD located at the VA Boston Healthcare System.
Using this grant money from Arnold Ventures, Taft and his team will compare the effectiveness of different interventions using data analysis to examine reductions in primary outcome of physical violence arrest recidivism, and secondary outcomes of self- and partner-reported physical and psychological IPV, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol use problems. Strength at Home, a program developed by Taft, which is focused on accountability, behavior change, and the reduction of IPV will be tested against “treatment as usual.”
Taft has served as principal investigator on funded grants focusing on understanding and preventing partner violence through the National Institute of Mental Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Defense, the Blue Shield Foundation of California, the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. He was the primary developer of the Strength at Home programs to prevent intimate partner violence, with current grants to implement the program within civilian and military settings.
In 2025, he received the Barbara Thompson Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families Award for his military research paper, “Examining Strength at Home Couples to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence on a Military Installation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.”
Taft was the 2009 Linda Saltzman Memorial Intimate Partner Violence Researcher Award winner from the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma. He is on the editorial boards of five journals and has published over 150 peer-reviewed academic articles. He has chaired an American Psychological Association task force on trauma in the military, consulted with the United Nations on preventing violence and abuse globally and testified before the US Congress on preventing intimate partner violence in the military.
Arnold Ventures was founded in 2008 by Laura and John Arnold with the launch of a foundation. The philanthropy is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through evidence-based policy solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice.
JMIR Analysis: Consumer Wearables Emerge as the New Health Care Gatekeepers
(Toronto, May 29, 2026) JMIR Publications today released a News and Perspectives expert analysis on consumer wearable platforms’ forays into the clinical health care space. Authored by MedTech expert Blythe Karow, MBA, “Meet the New Health Care Gatekeeper: Your Wearable” lays out the implications of wearable tech companies owning the first conversation about a patient's health, as well as the potential impacts on patient trust, policy, and regulation.
Owning the First Conversation
For decades, primary care physicians have served as the entry point to medical care, organizing referrals, tests, and treatments, writes Karow. Now, consumer wearable platforms are accumulating continuous physiological data—such as sleep patterns, heart rate variability, and blood pressure trends—allowing them to detect health changes before the user does. By incorporating artificial intelligence to interpret this data, these platforms effectively own the first conversation about a patient's health, positioning themselves to influence which specialists users see, which treatments they consider, and which care programs they enroll in.
The Shift Toward Clinical Routing
Major investments and strategic shifts signal that wearables are no longer just consumer tech plays. Karow notes that the fitness wristband company WHOOP recently closed a $575 million funding round with investments from Abbott and Mayo Clinic, and its newly created affiliate has been selected into a Medicare outcome-based chronic care model. Similar moves are occurring across the industry, with companies like Oura integrating with Medicare’s electronic health record infrastructure, and others such as Apple, Samsung, and Verily building clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement infrastructures. Wearables are now competing to become the routing layer for clinical care, helping to alleviate the strain on overworked doctors and assisting patients with proactive monitoring.
Navigating New Regulatory Risks
While there are clear benefits to continuous monitoring, Karow cautions that the rapid consolidation of these platforms raises significant regulatory and ethical concerns. Consumer technology companies operate on business models traditionally built on user attention, subscription revenue, and the monetization of user data. Unlike American physicians, who are legally prohibited from financially benefiting when referring patients to specific specialists, wearable platforms that control physiological monitoring, AI interpretation, clinical routing, and reimbursement under one roof have yet to face the same structural antitrust scrutiny. Policy and regulatory frameworks in the United States, writes Karow, are not yet ready to handle the risks brought on by integrating consumer wearable platforms into health care—and so far, consolidation hasn’t waited for policy to catch up.
Please cite as:
Karow B. Meet the New Health Care Gatekeeper: Your Wearable.
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research. The News and Perspectives section is the newest addition to its portfolio, established to bring the rigor and integrity of academic publishing to scientific journalism. The section features well-researched, expert-driven content from the Scientific News Editor, Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, PhD, and a network of specialist JMIR Publications Correspondents to keep the digital health community informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.
About JMIR Publications
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research and a champion of open science. With a focus on author advocacy and research amplification, JMIR Publications partners with researchers to advance their careers and maximize the impact of their work. As a technology organization with publishing at its core, we provide innovative tools and resources that go beyond traditional publishing, supporting researchers at every step of the dissemination process. Our portfolio features a range of peer-reviewed journals, including the renowned Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Meet the New Health Care Gatekeeper: Your Wearable
Article Publication Date
29-May-2026
Brain scans reveal two distinct subtypes of autism with different underlying biology
The study has linked distinct patterns of brain connectivity in autism to different underlying molecular mechanisms, offering a biological foundation for precision medicine approaches
New York (USA) / Rovereto, Trento (Italy), May 29, 2026 – An international research team led by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT Italian Institute of Technology) in Rovereto (Trento, Italy) and the Child Mind Institute in New York (USA), and in collaboration with researchers from the University of Trento, Italy, has shown that it is possible to identify at least two distinct subtypes of autism, defined by their patterns of brain connectivity. In the “hyperconnectivity” subtype, brain areas communicate more than usual; in the “hypoconnectivity” subtype, communication between brain areas is reduced. The study aims to develop tools for precise, personalized autism care and support. The research paper was published in the international journal Nature Neuroscience.
The research study was coordinated by Alessandro Gozzi, PhD, director of the Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems (CNCS) at the IIT and Adriana Di Martino, MD, founding director of the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute, and it represents the first systematic effort to decode human brain imaging patterns (via fMRI) by tracing them back to their molecular underpinnings in mouse models. By linking patterns of connectivity to specific biological pathways, the findings offer a foundation for precision medicine approaches.
Therefore, the researchers analyzed functional connectivity across 20 mouse models and brain scans from 940 children and young adults with autism and over 1,000 neurotypical individuals. The findings revealed two reproducible autism subtypes: one characterized by reduced brain connectivity (hypoconnectivity) linked to synaptic pathways, the other by increased connectivity (hyperconnectivity) associated with immune-related systems. Together, these subtypes accounted for approximately 25% of individuals with autism examined in the study.
"For decades, we’ve observed tremendous variability in how autism manifests, but we lacked direct evidence that these differences reflected distinct underlying biology," said Dr. Alessandro Gozzi, at Italian Institute of Technology. “Our approach enabled us to isolate specific genetic and immune factors, then translate those signatures to human brain scans, showing that different connectivity patterns encode different mechanistic pathways underlying autism.”
The team combined brain imaging with genetic and biochemical analyses in mouse models, linking connectivity patterns to specific alterations in cellular function. This revealed how specific molecular pathways, including synaptic and immune-related mechanisms, manifest as distinct connectivity patterns observable with fMRI. The study established biological reference patterns from mice that guided subtype identification in human brain scans.
"The mouse models gave us a biological 'Rosetta Stone," said Dr. Adriana Di Martino at the Child Mind Institute. "We could see which biological pathways drive which connectivity signatures, then search for those same patterns in humans."
The human data came from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) — a pioneering neuroimaging initiative co-founded by Dr. Di Martino that aggregates datasets from research laboratories worldwide — and the Child Mind Institute.
The analyses identified corresponding hypo- and hyperconnectivity subtypes in the human data. Gene expression analyses confirmed that human brain regions showing hypoconnectivity were enriched for synaptic genes, while hyperconnected regions showed enrichment for immune-related genes — mirroring the mechanisms identified in mouse models. Importantly, the subtypes were reproducible across independent datasets, validating their biological consistency.
"Finding the same subtypes reproducible across dozens of independent research sites was critical validation," added Dr. Gozzi.
The two subtypes exhibited different functional brain architecture and showed modest differences on standardized autism assessments, with the hyperconnectivity subtype scoring moderately higher on autism severity measures.
“Brain-based biological markers reveal distinctions that current behavioral assessments don't fully capture,"noted Dr. Di Martino.
The researchers emphasize that while the current findings capture two dominant patterns of brain connectivity in autism, the full diversity of the spectrum likely encompasses additional subtypes that larger datasets and refined analytical approaches may reveal.
The research was made possible by an international collaboration coordinated by the Italian Institute of Technology and the Child Mind Institute, with funding from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, the European Research Council through the #DISCONN and #BRAINAMICS projects, the Brain and Behavior Foundation, the Fondazione Telethon, and the US National Institute of Mental Health.
The paper, "Autism subtypes identified using cross-species functional connectivity analyses," is published in Nature Neuroscience and is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02287-z.
Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Through cutting-edge research, evidence-based clinical care, and public education, the Child Mind Institute builds open science platforms and digital tools to accelerate discovery and improve youth mental health worldwide. Learn more at childmind.org.
ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA
The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology – IIT) is a state-funded scientific research center that promotes technological development with the aim of supporting excellence in both basic and applied research and fostering the growth of the national economic system. The main headquarters is in Genoa (north-west Italy), with four Central Research Laboratories, complemented by a Network of Centers consisting of 12 hubs across Italy (Treviso, Turin, Aosta, two in Milan, Trento, Ferrara, Rome, Pisa, Pontedera, Naples, and Lecce) and two outstations abroad (MIT and Harvard in the United States).The total IIT staff exceeds 1,900 people, 50% of whom come from abroad, representing 62 countries worldwide. IIT’s research activity is characterized by strong multidisciplinary collaboration and focuses on four main scientific areas: robotics, nanomaterials, computational sciences, and technologies for the life sciences. To date, IIT’s output includes more than 23,000 publications, over 1,000 institutional projects — more than 70 of which are funded by the European Research Council —over 1,200 active patents, more than 1,000 commercial collaboration agreements signed, 41 start-ups established, and more than 50 currently in the launch phase.
Autism subtypes identified using cross-species functional connectivity analyses
Article Publication Date
25-May-2026
Brain scans reveal two distinct subtypes of autism with different underlying biology
The study has linked distinct patterns of brain connectivity in autism to different underlying molecular mechanisms, offering a biological foundation for precision medicine approaches
In the picture Alessandro Gozzi, PhD, director of the Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems (CNCS) at the IIT in Rovereto (Italy) who coordinated the study with Adriana Di Martino, MD, founding director of the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute in New York.
New York (USA)/Trento (Italy), 29 May, 2026 – An international research team led by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Rovereto (Trento, Italy) and the Child Mind Institute in New York (USA), and in collaboration with researchers from the University of Trento, has shown that it is possible to identify at least two distinct subtypes of autism, defined by their patterns of brain connectivity. In the “hyperconnectivity” subtype, brain areas communicate more than usual; in the “hypoconnectivity” subtype, communication between brain areas is reduced. The study aims to develop tools for precise, personalized autism care and support. The research paper was published in the international journal Nature Neuroscience.
The research study was coordinated by Alessandro Gozzi, PhD, director of the Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems (CNCS) at the IIT and Adriana Di Martino, MD, founding director of the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute, and it represents the first systematic effort to decode human brain imaging patterns (via fMRI) by tracing them back to their molecular underpinnings in mouse models. By linking patterns of connectivity to specific biological pathways, the findings offer a foundation for precision medicine approaches.
Therefore, the researchers analyzed functional connectivity across 20 mouse models and brain scans from 940 children and young adults with autism and over 1,000 neurotypical individuals. The findings revealed two reproducible autism subtypes: one characterized by reduced brain connectivity (hypoconnectivity) linked to synaptic pathways, the other by increased connectivity (hyperconnectivity) associated with immune-related systems. Together, these subtypes accounted for approximately 25% of individuals with autism examined in the study.
"For decades, we’ve observed tremendous variability in how autism manifests, but we lacked direct evidence that these differences reflected distinct underlying biology," said Dr. Alessandro Gozzi, at Italian Institute of Technology. “Our approach enabled us to isolate specific genetic and immune factors, then translate those signatures to human brain scans, showing that different connectivity patterns encode different mechanistic pathways underlying autism.”
The team combined brain imaging with genetic and biochemical analyses in mouse models, linking connectivity patterns to specific alterations in cellular function. This revealed how specific molecular pathways, including synaptic and immune-related mechanisms, manifest as distinct connectivity patterns observable with fMRI. The study established biological reference patterns from mice that guided subtype identification in human brain scans.
"The mouse models gave us a biological 'Rosetta Stone,'" said Dr. Adriana Di Martino at the Child Mind Institute. "We could see which biological pathways drive which connectivity signatures, then search for those same patterns in humans."
The human data came from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) — a pioneering neuroimaging initiative co-founded by Dr. Di Martino that aggregates datasets from research laboratories worldwide — and the Child Mind Institute.
The analyses identified corresponding hypo- and hyperconnectivity subtypes in the human data. Gene expression analyses confirmed that human brain regions showing hypoconnectivity were enriched for synaptic genes, while hyperconnected regions showed enrichment for immune-related genes — mirroring the mechanisms identified in mouse models. Importantly, the subtypes were reproducible across independent datasets, validating their biological consistency.
"Finding the same subtypes reproducible across dozens of independent research sites was critical validation," added Dr. Gozzi.
The two subtypes exhibited different functional brain architecture and showed modest differences on standardized autism assessments, with the hyperconnectivity subtype scoring moderately higher on autism severity measures.
“Brain-based biological markers reveal distinctions that current behavioral assessments don't fully capture," noted Dr.Di Martino.
The researchers emphasize that while the current findings capture two dominant patterns of brain connectivity in autism, the full diversity of the spectrum likely encompasses additional subtypes that larger datasets and refined analytical approaches may reveal.
The research was made possible by an international collaboration coordinated by the Italian Institute of Technology and the Child Mind Institute, with funding from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, the European Research Council through the #DISCONN and #BRAINAMICS projects, the Brain and Behavior Foundation, the Fondazione Telethon, and the US National Institute of Mental Health.
Child Mind Institute The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Through cutting-edge research, evidence-based clinical care, and public education, the Child Mind Institute builds open science platforms and digital tools to accelerate discovery and improve youth mental health worldwide. Learn more at childmind.org.
ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA
The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is a state-funded scientific research center that promotes technological development with the aim of supporting excellence in both basic and applied research and fostering the growth of the national economic system. The main headquarters is in Genoa (north-west Italy), with four Central Research Laboratories, complemented by a Network of Centers consisting of 12 hubs across Italy (Treviso, Turin, Aosta, two in Milan, Trento, Ferrara, Rome, Pisa, Pontedera, Naples, and Lecce) and two outstations abroad (MIT and Harvard in the United States).The total IIT staff exceeds 1,900 people, 50% of whom come from abroad, representing 62 countries worldwide. IIT’s research activity is characterized by strong multidisciplinary collaboration and focuses on four main scientific areas: robotics, nanomaterials, computational sciences, and technologies for the life sciences. To date, IIT’s output includes more than 23,000 publications, over 1,000 institutional projects — more than 70 of which are funded by the European Research Council —over 1,200 active patents, more than 1,000 commercial collaboration agreements signed, 41 start-ups established, and more than 50 currently in the launch phase. www.iit.it
Autism subtypes identified using cross-species functional connectivity analyses
Article Publication Date
25-May-2026
Free contraception policy sharply reduces patient costs in B.C., especially for young adults
UBC researchers find out-of-pocket spending fell 83 per cent within two years of universal coverage
University of British Columbia
Researchers at UBC found that B.C.’s decision to provide universal, no-cost prescription contraception sharply reduced what patients pay, with the largest financial gains for people in their 20s. Unaffordable contraception is linked to higher rates of unintended pregnancy, which carries significant consequences for health, education and economic equality.
Published in JAMA Health Forum, the study is the first to quantify patient cost impacts after B.C. introduced free prescription contraception in April 2023.
The highest payers gain the most
Before the policy, the pill averaged about $25 per month, while IUDs ranged from $75 to more than $500 up front—and for long-term pill users, lifetime costs could reach $10,000.
Nearly 40 per cent of prescription contraception was not covered by insurance, but was paid out of pocket by patients—the highest rate in Canada and well above most other prescription drugs. Among young adults, that figure was even higher at about 45 per cent. After implementation, their out-of-pocket share fell by roughly 33 percentage points. Across all patient groups, the share of prescriptions with any patient cost dropped to under 10 per cent and to five per cent for prescription contraceptives that were fully covered.
Two years later, patient spending was 83 per cent lower than expected, translating to average savings of $43 per contraceptive user per year.
“People in their 20s are often in a coverage gap. They’re off a parent’s plan but not yet in jobs with benefits,” said lead author Dr. Elizabeth Nethery, a postdoctoral researcher at UBC’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences. “This policy was particularly important for this group who were most likely to be paying out of pocket.”
System costs stable as access expands
The study analyzed pharmacy data from all 10 provinces, using jurisdictions without universal coverage as a comparison. While patient costs fell sharply, total contraceptive spending across patients, insurers and the public system remained essentially unchanged after two years. Researchers also found increased uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives, including IUDs and implants.
“Universal coverage works,” said senior author Dr. Laura Schummers, an assistant professor at UBC. “Removing cost barriers increased uptake of the most effective methods, which helps reduce unintended pregnancy and inequality—adding to strong evidence that universal contraception coverage is essential in Canada.”
In Canada, roughly two out of five pregnancies are unintended, disproportionately affecting people with fewer financial resources.
Policy momentum across Canada
Manitoba introduced a similar program in October 2024, with early results consistent with B.C.’s. At the federal level, Canada passed pharmacare legislation in 2024 committing to public coverage of contraception, although implementation agreements currently involve only three provinces and one territory.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and included researchers from UBC, the University of Calgary, the University of Manitoba, Simon Fraser University and the University of Ottawa.
Interview language(s): English (Nethery, Schummers), French (Nethery)
