Recent contraceptive

Hansi Bennett knows what it’s like to feel constant pain.

The 38-year-old, who lives just out of Hamilton, has had a particularly difficult lockdown experience – her mother, Joy Crocombe, died, and she has had two under-5s at home with her.

She wanted to get the contraceptive mirena to help manage her severe endometriosis, which causes her pain and heavy bleeding, but Covid-19 meant her appointment was postponed.

Bennett decided to go on an oral contraceptive pill while she waited, again to help manage the endometriosis. But when she approached doctors and pharmacists, they declined to prescribe, telling her stocks were too low.

‘‘There was none available . . . The pharmacy weren’t being [difficult], they just said ‘we can’t get any’. And I wondered, ‘are people stockpiling this?’.’’

Only one non-funded oral contraceptive was available, for about $50, which she eventually bought. But Bennett worried about those in less fortunate circumstances than herself. ‘‘Some people can’t afford it. There was no [other] option. I thought it’s that or painkillers, which is not ideal. I wanted to be able to properly manage [my endometriosis].’’

Once the lockdown lifted, she was able to get mirena. But just before she got it, stocks of funded oral contraceptives were still not available, she said.

‘‘I said to the pharmacist, ‘what about young teenage girls who might not be able to get this? What’s the answer?’ It’s not their fault, they can’t get it.

‘‘This is pretty ridiculous . . . I just don’t understand, it’s basic contraceptives and this shouldn’t be a problem or complicated.’’

Fiona Tolich, trustee of advocacy group Patient Voice Aotearoa, said the supply issues were a problem for some women.