Emergency contraception (EC) is available in Slovenia: LNG EC, UPA EC, and the use of IUD for EC are included in national policies for family planning, and local pharmacies distribute hormonal EC, but hormonal 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 | Median age at first sexual intercourse | Mean age at birth of first child | Total fertility rate | % use of modern contraceptive methods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 482,0001 | 17.42 | 28.73 | 1.564 | 63.2%5 |
| Year | 2010 | 2012 | 2010 | 2011 | 1994-95 |
Accessibility & prescription status
In Slovenia, LNG EC is available behind the counter from pharmacies for women who are older than 16 years, which means that EC is available without a prescription but is not on the shelves and needs to be requested in order to purchase. Women under 16 years old need a prescription in order to purchase LNG EC. Since 2015, UPA EC can be purchased without a prescription from pharmacies.
Physicians are the sole health care professionals who are authorized to prescribe EC.
Cost
| Type of EC | Approximate Cost | Brand(s) Available |
|---|---|---|
| LNG | € 15 | Escapelle 1.5, NorLevo 1.5mg |
| UPA | € 24 | ellaOne |
The cost of EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security in Slovenia.
Guidelines & common practices
Smernice za rabo nujne kontracepcije, authored by Urška Bizjak Ogrinc, Sara Korošec, and Bojana Pinter and published in 2011 in Zdrav Vestn, are Slovenia’s guidelines dedicated exclusively to EC. These guidelines include recommendations on LNG and UPA EC pills as well as on the use of IUD for EC.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Pinter B, Ceh F, Srnovršnik T, Verdenik I. Spolno vedenje slovenskih srednješolcev v letu 2012. Report. Ljubljana: Ginekološka klinika, UKC Ljubljana, 2014.
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 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Contraceptive Use 2012. New York, 2012.
Last update: September 2016
