News

November 2021. Individuals ages 13 to 55 will be able to access a temporary 3-month supply of oral contraception (a progestogen-only contraceptive pill) from community pharmacies, at the time of obtaining emergency contraception (EC). The Scottish government just announced this innovative measure, aimed at bridging the gap between EC and use of longer-term contraception. Until…

November 2021. In a valuable monitoring effort, a journalist from MaltaToday conducted again and for the 2nd year in a row, a survey to assess EC accessibility. Through a phone interview, pharmacies that will be on-call in the coming 6 weekends and holidays were asked if they sell emergency contraception (EC) pills, or not. According…

October 2021. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) calls on its members to commit to discussing sexual and reproductive health, including contraception, infection prevention and safe sex, in their conversations with young people, girls, and boys. Around the world, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls….

October 2021. Last week, the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) launched a report on access to contraception during the COVID-19 pandemic in 46 European countries. The report concludes that countries that usually prioritize and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), took measures to ensure continued access to contraception during…

October 2021. Pharmacies or pharmacists that object to supplying emergency contraception, remain a problem for access in many European countries. In Italy, a collective and participatory effort is in place to identify services where providers do not get in the way of women’s reproductive choice. On the website of Objection Rejected (https://obiezionerespinta.info), a map points…

September 2021. BBC3 recently reported the case of  two women in the United Kingdom being denied emergency contraception from their local pharmacy, which triggered serious criticism from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president: “Pharmacy refusal to provide emergency contraception is ‘completely unacceptable’”, said professor Claire Anderson. In 2017, the RPS updated its own  guidance on EC prescribing. In…

September 2021. The French Health Minister recently announced that in 2022, access to contraception will be free for women up to 25 years old. This policy that makes access to some contraceptive methods free of cost (no charges for medical appointments to get a prescription, checkups, tests, and the method itself) extends now to all…

July 2021. According to the Spanish Society of Contraception (SEC), use of emergency contraception pills dropped among women aged 25 to 30 and 35 to 40, from 38% to 2,7. Read more here:

June 2021. On June 23rd, the European Parliament voted in favor of a landmark report presented by the Croatian Member of European Parliament (MEP)  Predrag Fred Matić on “the situation of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU”. This report is the first of its kind in almost 10 years to give such…

May 2021. Findings from ECEC’s and You Act’s participatory survey on emergency contraception access through community pharmacies in Europe, were presented on a poster at the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health (ESCRH) virtual seminar held on May 7 and 8, 2021. We thank the ESCRH colleagues for this opportunity to share our work.

May 2021. According to a report from One.com in Malta, emergency contraception pills could only be bought in one of the five pharmacies visited on a recent Saturday afternoon. The report takes a look at EC accessibility in Malta five years after it was first registered and commercialised in the country, and the role conscientious…

April 2021. According to news on Raitre, for over 20 years and until 2016, the Vatican invested in companies that produce emergency contraception pills. The Vatican doctrine defends life from the moment of conception. Emergency contraception pills (popularly known as “the morning-after pill”) do not interfere with life after conception. Emergency contraception pills inhibit ovulation:…