Russian Federation: Mifepristone EC pills less accessible

March 2025. Emergency contraceptive (EC) pills with a low dose of mifepristone (10 to 25 mg), have been available in a few countries for many years, including Armenia, Russia, China, Moldova, Ukraine and Vietnam. In 2023, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation approved a list of drugs and active ingredients that are to…

Contraception: An unfinished revolution

Contraception: An unfinished revolution

March 2025. In the United  Kingdom, Bpas releases the 2nd edition of “Contraception, Re-Imagined: The Unfinished Revolution”. This report uncovers significant barriers to contraceptive access, growing dissatisfaction with existing options, and a rising demand for non-hormonal alternatives. The report is based on a survey of 1,000 women aged 18-45. Some of the findings are:  Bpas…

Taiwan: EC pills remain subject to prescription  

Taiwan: EC pills remain subject to prescription  

March 2025. According to the Taipei Times, emergency contraceptive (EC) pills will remain prescription products in Taiwan, for the time being. The national Food and Drug Administartion (FDA) convened a wide consultation on March 7 to discuss reclassifying EC pills to make them available without a doctor’s prescription. The Ministry of Education, the Department of…

Review of uses of UPA beyond EC

Review of uses of UPA beyond EC

March 2025. A new article describes uses of ulipristal acetate (UPA) beyond emergency contraception: Uses of ulipristal acetate beyond emergency contraception: a narrative review (Ebersole, Ashley M. et al. Contraception). The review describes the extensive potential for UPA to treat and/or prevent conditions such as fibroids, breast cancer, and abnormal uterine bleeding, in addition to other…

Germany:  Contraceptive behavior of adults 2023. Research report

February 2025. The Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) just published the English edition of the CONTRACEPTIVE BEHAVIOUR OF ADULTS 2023 report. This nationwide, representative repeat survey, examines contraceptive knowledge and behavior among sexually active population aged 18 to 49. This survey allows to observe and identify trends in contraceptive use over the years. Condoms…

Ulipristal acetate: understanding its uses for EC and beyond

Ulipristal acetate: understanding its uses for EC and beyond

January 2025. The findings of a proof-of-concept study investigating use of ulipristal acetate (UPA) as part of an abortion regimen, have been published this week. UPA is the active ingredient in the newer generation of emergency contraception (EC) pills. The publication of this research may open a global debate about the development of new indications…

Malta: EC pills to be included in National Formulary

January 2025.  In December 2024, Maltese Health Authorities proposed including EC pills in the National Formulary, as part of the 2nd National Sexual Health Strategy 2025-2030. According to the Minister of Health, the strategy is based on comprehensive research conducted in 2022 and 2023, and is part of the national ongoing efforts to promote sexual…

Brasil: Use of EC pills among adolescent students

January 2025. A study by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte) aimed to estimate use of emergency contraception (EC) among Brazilian adolescent students, as well as the association of individual, family, and community factors with use. A cross-sectional study was carried out, including 38,779 Brazilian adolescent students, aged 13 to 17 years, participating…

UPA medicine for uterine fibroids remains available in a number of Latin American and CIS countries

December 2024.  The marketing authorisation for Esmya was withdrawn in July from the European Economic Area and Belarus, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, at the request of the marketing-authorisation holder. (See announcement on the European’s Medicines Agency’s website here). The withdrawal was due to commercial reasons and there is no change in the safety…

Argentina: New data on EC use and access

November 2024. The Study Lucía: Uses and preferences of contraceptive methods in women aged 15 to 49 years in Argentina, was recently published. This quantitative and qualitative research has consulted 2,000 women and people identifyin as LGTB from all over the nation. The study findings, published in September 2024, include valuable information about access to…

Poland: Increased use of EC pills trough pharmacy prescription. 

Poland: Increased use of EC pills trough pharmacy prescription. 

November 2024. More than 11,000 prescriptions for emergency contraceptive (EC) pills have been issued since the introduction, last May, of the pilot program “Pharmaceutical Prescription Regulation for Emergency Contraception” (see https://www.ec-ec.org/poland-pilot-program-for-pharmacy-prescribing-of-ecps/). Sales of emergency contraception showed marked increases, according to the Supreme Chamber of Pharmacy: “Analysing market data from the implemented pilot, we observe a…