"Expanding knowledge and access
to emergency contraception"
"Expanding knowledge and access to emergency contraception in Europe"
23 September 2026. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched today the new Guidelines on Expanding Contraceptive Options (ECO). These provide evidence-based recommendations on contraceptive methods and practices that are not currently included in WHO’s Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC), or that differ from existing WHO practice guidance. Mifepristone as emergency contraception WHO recommends…
27 October 2026 | 14:00 London | 15:00 Brussels | 16:00 Bucharest The European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC) and Free the Pill, a project of Ibis Reproductive Health, are convening a webinar on how regulatory change can expand access to oral contraceptives. Recent regulatory changes in the United States and the United Kingdom have…
September 2026. A new Cochrane review, published on 21 September 2026, adds to the evidence on the effectiveness and safety of mifepristone when used as emergency contraception (EC). The review found that both low- and medium-dose mifepristone EC pills (<25 mg and 25–50 mg, respectively) probably result in fewer pregnancies than levonorgestrel EC. Cochrane Despite…
September 2026. Upcoming events in Europe may be of interest to the emergency contraception and broader reproductive health community: Multistakeholder Workshop on Women’s Health | 28–29 September 2026 | Amsterdam (and online) The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will bring together patients, healthcare professionals, academia, industry and other stakeholders to discuss gaps and challenges in women’s…
September 2026. The World Health Organization (WHO) launches its new Guideline on Expanding Contraceptive Options (ECO), providing evidence-based recommendations on emerging contraceptive methods and service delivery practices. The guideline responds to requests from Member States and partners for guidance on contraceptive methods not yet included in the Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC), as…
July 2026. ECEC has published the second edition of Repeated use of emergency contraceptive pills. Summary of current recommendations. The updated brief reflects the latest recommendations in the World Health Organization’s Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (6th edition, 2025), which classify repeated use of emergency contraceptive pills within the same menstrual cycle as Category…
July 2026. The College of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare (CoSRH) has published a new evidence policy briefing summarising the current evidence on the safety and effectiveness of oral emergency contraception, including levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) emergency contraceptive pills. The briefing reviews the available evidence on key topics, including EC use in women with…
July 2026. The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued a new standing order to improve access to reproductive health products through community pharmacies. The Standing Order for Reproductive Health: Contraception, Emergency Contraception and Pregnancy Tests, issued on 24 June 2026, is part of broader efforts to expand timely access to contraception by enabling pharmacists…
July 2026. Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) containing levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) are currently prescription products in Taiwan. Last June, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) proposed adding three prescription medicines—LNG and UPA ECPs, and also misoprostol—to its drug traceability system, with the stated aim of strengthening oversight of drug distribution and compliance….
July 2026. A new YouGov survey highlights persistent barriers to timely access to emergency contraception (EC) in the United Kingdom (UK), particularly outside regular pharmacy opening hours. Many respondents considered obtaining EC on a Sunday or after 10 p.m. to be difficult. Despite important progress in improving access to EC in the UK, the survey…
June 2026. In the United Kingdom, The College of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare (CoSRH) – formerly FSRH-, has updated its Clinical Guideline on Emergency Contraception. One change in the latest amendments (April 2026) concerns breastfeeding after use of ulipristal acetate (UPA) emergency contraception. Following a review of the available evidence, the College now advises that…
June 2026. Poland’s Ministry of Health has announced plans to extend the pilot programme that allows pharmacists to issue prescriptions for emergency contraception (EC) pills directly in participating pharmacies. The programme, which began on 1 May 2024, was originally scheduled to run for 25 months, until June 2026. Following positive uptake, the Ministry has indicated…
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