Welcome to the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC)
Founded in 2012, ECEC works to expand knowledge about and access to Emergency Contraception (EC) in Europe, and promotes the standardization of EC service delivery to ensure equitable access across the region. Since 2020, ECEC also works globally to advance access to EC.
EC is the only contraceptive method that can be used after sex, and it provides women with an additional opportunity to prevent a pregnancy.
Through this website, we hope to contribute to generating and sharing knowledge of EC in Europe and globally. Your contributions are essential to helping us achieve this goal, and we encourage you to share EC information about your country by writing to us at ecec [at] eeirh [dot] org.
Go directly to country-by-country information on EC access
Go directly to the online EC counseling tool (The EC wheel)
Latest News
Japan: EC pills finally available in pharmacies
February 2026. As of 1 February, levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive (EC) pills are available for sale in pharmacies and drugstores in Japan. Currently, only one brand of EC pills has been approved for non-prescription sale. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is 7,480 yen: approximately USD 48 (Source: https://www.daiichisankyo-hc.co.jp.) According to ECEC data, prior to the regulatory…
New report highlights global inequities in access to Emergency Contraceptive pills
January 2026. The European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC) reveals significant disparities in the availability and pricing of emergency contraceptive (EC) pills worldwide. The report Emergency contraceptive pills database – Data summary as of November 2025 is based on data from 127 countries, stored on the open-access database. Levonorgestrel (LNG) pills dominate the market, available…
New European studies find Over-the-Counter access increases Emergency Contraception use
January 2025. Two studies published in 2023 and 2025 provide the first empirical evidence on the impacts of introducing over-the-counter (OTC) emergency contraception (EC) in Europe. Both studies find that removing prescription requirements leads to substantial increases in EC use. A 2023 study by Gregor Pfeifer and Mirjam Stockburger (Journal of Health Economics) shows that…