Emergency contraception (EC) is available in Turkey: LNG EC is included in national guidelines for family planning, and local pharmacies distribute LNG EC and UPA EC, but EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security.
- Sexual & reproductive health background information
- Accessibility & prescription status
- Cost
- Guidelines
- EC use
Sexual & reproductive health background information
| Female population aged 15-49 | Mean age at first sexual intercourse | Mean age at birth of first child | Total fertility rate | % use of modern contraceptive methods among married women | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 19,647,0001 | 17.92 | 22.33 | 2.044 | 46.0%5 |
| Year | 2010 | 2005 | 2010 | 2010 | 2008 |
Accessibility & prescription status
In Turkey, LNG EC is available behind the counter from pharmacies, which means that EC is available without a prescription but is not on the shelves and needs to be requested in order to purchase. LNG EC supply was discontinued between 2014 and 2018. UPA EC is a prescription product (since May 2014), but anecdotal data suggests that it is possible to obtain it without a prescription.
Physicians are the sole health care professionals who are authorized to provide or prescribe LNG EC and to prescribe UPA EC.
Cost
| Type of EC | Approximate Cost | Brand(s) Available |
|---|---|---|
| LNG | € 5,10 | NorLevo 0.75mg (discontinued) |
| LNG | € 8,40 | ERTES72 (1.5mg) |
| UPA | € 12 | ellaOne |
The cost of EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security in Turkey.
Guidelines
“Oral Kontrasepsiyon Kilavuzu,” published in 2012 by the Turkish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, includes information on LNG EC among other contraceptive methods. Additionally, the World Health Organisation’s Medical eligibility criteria wheel for contraceptive use, is used as reference.
EC use
| Ever use of EC among married women | EC use in the last 12 months | % with no prescription | Repeated use of EC in last 12 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 2.3%5 | n/a | 99.83%6 | n/a |
| Year | 2008 | n/a | 2012 | n/a |
Sources
1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. New York, 2011.
2 Durex Global Sex Survey Results 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2013, from http://www.durex.com/en-jp/sexualwellbeingsurvey/documents/gss2005result.pdf.
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 Eurostat. Total fertility rate, 1960-2011 (live births per woman). Retrieved 19 June 2013, from http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php?title=File:Total_fertility_rate,_1960-2011_%28live_births_per_woman%29.png&filetimestamp=20130129121040.
5 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2013, from http://www.hips.hacettepe.edu.tr/eng/tdhs08/TDHS-2008_Main_Report.pdf.
6 IMS Turkey national prescription data, 2012.
Last update: November 2021
Previous update: March 2018
