A friendly reminder, on Human Rights Day:

April 2024. According to the Russian State Register of Medical Products emergency contraception (EC) pills containing levonorgestrel under the brand names Escapel and Postinor, have been switched to OTC products and can be bought without a doctor’s prescription since January 2024.   See registration certificates here and here.

December 2020. On November 26, the Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the setback to women’s sexual and reproductive rights in Poland, and drawing attention to the legal obligation of the European Union to uphold and protect these rights. The resolution also urges Polish authorities to repeal the law limiting access to the…

In February 2017, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population & Development launched the ContraceptionAtlas, a map scoring 45 European countries on access to modern contraception. Included among the examined factors are number of contraceptives available, what sort of information is available online, level of reimbursement, and availability of emergency contraception. According to the atlas, France is number…

May 29 2017. Since mid 2015, and upon recommendation from the European Medicines Agency, EC pills with ulipristal acetate can be bought without prescription from pharmacies in Poland and everywhere else in the European Union except for Hungary. On May 25th, however, Members of Parliament in Poland voted in favor of a new bill which proposes,…

October 2025. Today, ASKA Pharmaceutical, the marketing authorization holder of Japan’s only emergency contraceptive pill (ECP), announced it has received official approval to make the product available over the counter (OTC). This means people in Japan will soon be able to obtain emergency contraception directly from pharmacies without a prescription. This marks a historic milestone…