Emergency contraception (EC) is available in Croatia: LNG EC and UPA EC are distributed by local pharmacies, but EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security.
- Sexual & reproductive health background information
- Accessibility & prescription status
- Cost
- Guidelines & common practices
- EC use
Sexual & reproductive health background information
| Female population aged 15-49 | Mean age at first sexual intercourse | Mean age at birth of first child | Total fertility rate | % use of modern contraceptive methods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 989,0001 | 17.32 | 27.73 | 1.414 | n/a |
| Year | 2010 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | n/a |
Accessibility & prescription status
In Croatia, as of October 2015, at least one brand of LNG EC (Escapelle) can be purchased without a prescription from pharmacies by women who are older than 16.
Following the European Medical Agency’s recommendation of January 2015 and since April 2015, UPA EC can be bought directly from the pharmacies, and a prescription is no longer necessary. A guideline and a questionnaire were issued by the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists with the aim of standardizing the operative procedure of dispensing UPA EC without prescription.
In June 2016, the mandatory dispensing protocol for UPA EC was cancelled following lobbying from the Croatian Society of Gynecological Endocrinology and Human Reproduction, the Croatian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the Croatian Pharmacists Association.
Physicians are the sole health care professionals who are authorized to prescribe LNG EC.
Cost
| Type of EC | Approximate Cost | Brand(s) Available |
|---|---|---|
| LNG | € 21,4 | Escapelle, Vikela |
| UPA | € 25,6 | ellaOne |
The cost of EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security in Croatia.
Guidelines & common practices
As of September 2015, Croatia has guidelines for oral EC, produced and endorsed by the Croatian Society of Gynecologic Endocrinology and Human Reproduction (HDGEHR), the Croatian Society of Gynecology (HDGO), and the Gynecology Primary Practice Section of the Croatian Medical Association. To access the guidelines, entitled Oralna hitna kontracepcija, please click here.
Health care providers sometimes provide general information about EC during regular consultations but rarely prescribe EC in advance of need. It is not legally required for health care providers to perform 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Year | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Sources
1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. New York, 2011.
2 Durex Global Sex Survey Results 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2013, from http://www.durex.com/en-jp/sexualwellbeingsurvey/documents/gss2005result.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/.
Last update: June 2016
