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
TED-Ed releases new lesson explaining how the “morning-after pill” prevents pregnancy
March 2026. A new animated lesson from TED-Ed explores the science behind emergency contraception and answers a common question: how does the morning-after pill actually work? In “How does the morning-after pill prevent pregnancy?”, physician and researcher Alison Edelman explains the biological mechanisms behind emergency contraceptive pills and addresses widespread misconceptions about their function. Using…
Sexual well-being plays key role in contraceptive use
February 2026. A global review published in October 2025, highlights the important role sexual well-being plays in whether people continue using contraception. Drawing on data from 64 studies conducted between 2004 and 2023, the research found that around 5% of people who stopped using contraception—despite still wanting to prevent pregnancy —did so because of concerns…
Australia: Challenges in pharmacy provision of emergency contraception
February 2026 – A new qualitative study explored how community pharmacists in Australia make decisions about providing emergency contraception (EC) and how professional guidelines support this care. Pharmacists described existing guidelines as inaccessible, ambiguous, and impractical for use in busy pharmacy settings. The findings highlight the need for further research to optimise guideline usability and…