Emergency contraception (EC) is available in Albania: LNG EC is included in national policies for family planning but is only available for purchase from pharmacies and is not provided for free or reimbursed by social security. Since mid 2017 UPA EC is also available.
- Sexual & reproductive health background information
- Accessibility & prescription status
- Cost
- Guidelines & common practices
- EC use
Sexual & reproductive health background information
| Female population aged 15-49 | Median age at first sexual intercourse | Mean age at birth of first child | Total fertility rate | % use of modern contraceptive methods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 819,0001 | 20.92 | 23.43 | 1.584 | 11%2 |
| Year | 2015 | 2008-09 | 2010 | 2011 | 2008-09 |
Accessibility & prescription status
In Albania, since mid 2017 LNG EC is available without prescription from pharmacies. Until then, regulations dictated that a prescription was mandatory in order to purchase LNG EC, although anecdotal data suggested that LNG EC was often sold without a prescription. UPA EC is available without prescription in Albania since mid 2017.
Physicians are the sole health care professionals who are authorised to prescribe LNG EC.
Cost
| Type of EC | Approximate Cost | Brand(s) Available |
|---|---|---|
| LNG | € 4,50 | NorLevo 1.5mg, Postinor-2 |
| UPA | € 15,60 | ellaOne |
Currently, Postinor-2 is the only EC brand available in Albania as there is a stock out of NorLevo in the country for unknown reasons. The cost of LNG EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security in Albania.
Guidelines & common practices
Family Planning Protocols were introduced in 2009 by the Albanian Ministry of Health. While these protocols do reference EC, they do not outline the different types of EC available.
Health care providers sometimes provide general information about EC during regular consultations and sometimes prescribe EC in advance of need. Health care providers do not require a pregnancy test or a pelvic exam before prescribing EC.
EC use
| Ever use of EC | EC use in the last 12 months | % with no prescription | Repeated use of EC in last 12 months | Knowledge (all women) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 46,8%5 | 15,1%5 | 96%5 | n/a | 53,2%6 |
| Year | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | n/a | 2017/8 |
Sources
1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision. New York, 2013.
2 Albania Demographic and Health Survey 2008-09. Retrieved 20 June 2013, from http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR230/FR230.pdf.
3 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division Database. Mean Age of Women at Birth of First Child by Country and Year. Updated 23 November 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013, from http://w3.unece.org/pxweb/dialog/varval.asp?ma=04_GEFHAge1stChild_r&path=../database/STAT/30-GE/02-Families_households/&lang=1&ti=Mean+age+of+women+at+birth+of+first+child.
4 European health for all database (HFA-DB), World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Total fertility rate. Retrieved 18 June 2013, from http://data.euro.who.int/hfadb/.
5 Roshi, D., Italia, S., Burazeri, G., & Brand, H. (2017). Prevalence and Correlates of Emergency Contraceptive Use in Transitional Albania. Das Gesundheitswesen, 81(07), e127–e132. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-119085.
6 Institute of Statistics, Institute of Public Health, and ICF. 2018. Albania Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18. Tirana, Albania: Institute of Statistics, Institute of Public Health, and ICF. Retrieved 22 November 202, from https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR348/FR348.pdf
Last update: November 2021
Previous update: October 2021
