News

January 2022. In Ireland, the wider use of emergency contraception (EC) is deemed to be one of the many contributing factors to a 73 % fall in the number of births to teenage mothers over the past 20 years, according to the report “Information Summary about Teenage Pregnancy in Ireland 2000-2020” to be published by…

January 2022. A report published on newtral.es on December 2021 shows the challenges of working in “conscious objector pharmacies”. In these pharmacies the individual right to object dispensing EC pills on conscientious grounds, is extended to the entire team in the shop, despite being an individual right:  https://www.newtral.es/farmacias-objetoras-de-conciencia-pildora-del-dia-despues/20211219/. Testimonies of individuals who, in Spanish pharmacies,…

January 2022. Last December, Welsh Health authorities announced changes on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. These will enable all pharmacies to provide emergency contraception (EC) and some forms of routine contraception. Other priority services that will be included are the common ailment, emergency medicine supply and seasonal influenza vaccination services. The 713 community pharmacies registered…

December 2021. Data on emergency contraception’ knowledge and use are included in Unicef’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) for some countries. National survey reports are available on-line. Serbia and North Macedonia identified important EC knowledge gaps between overall population and population in Roma settlements. Serbia:1  % of all women aged 15-49 who have heard of EC: 91,4% % of…

December 2021. Last week, a big retail pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom announced a 50% discount on emergency contraception pills during Black Friday. The promotion has raised strong criticism from a number of organisations and Members of Parliament, who point out that essential women’s health products should not be used to make a profit. MPs and…

November 2021. Individuals ages 13 to 55 will be able to access a temporary 3-month supply of oral contraception (a progestogen-only contraceptive pill) from community pharmacies, at the time of obtaining emergency contraception (EC). The Scottish government just announced this innovative measure, aimed at bridging the gap between EC and use of longer-term contraception. Until…

November 2021. In a valuable monitoring effort, a journalist from MaltaToday conducted again and for the 2nd year in a row, a survey to assess EC accessibility. Through a phone interview, pharmacies that will be on-call in the coming 6 weekends and holidays were asked if they sell emergency contraception (EC) pills, or not. According…

October 2021. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) calls on its members to commit to discussing sexual and reproductive health, including contraception, infection prevention and safe sex, in their conversations with young people, girls, and boys. Around the world, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls….

October 2021. Last week, the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) launched a report on access to contraception during the COVID-19 pandemic in 46 European countries. The report concludes that countries that usually prioritize and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), took measures to ensure continued access to contraception during…

October 2021. Pharmacies or pharmacists that object to supplying emergency contraception, remain a problem for access in many European countries. In Italy, a collective and participatory effort is in place to identify services where providers do not get in the way of women’s reproductive choice. On the website of Objection Rejected (https://obiezionerespinta.info), a map points…

September 2021. BBC3 recently reported the case of  two women in the United Kingdom being denied emergency contraception from their local pharmacy, which triggered serious criticism from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president: “Pharmacy refusal to provide emergency contraception is ‘completely unacceptable’”, said professor Claire Anderson. In 2017, the RPS updated its own  guidance on EC prescribing. In…

September 2021. The French Health Minister recently announced that in 2022, access to contraception will be free for women up to 25 years old. This policy that makes access to some contraceptive methods free of cost (no charges for medical appointments to get a prescription, checkups, tests, and the method itself) extends now to all…