EC news from Italy

June  2017. A new survey and a web discussion have provided new data  about whether and how Italian women’s awareness of and access to EC has changed following the availability of UPA EC without a prescription in 2015. According to this data, 90% of the women consulted consider EC useful and 91% think it is effective; but on…

EC use studies from Barcelona

9 June  2017.  Two studies about EC use in  Barcelona, were recently released. The Catalan health authorities looked at EC users’ profiles and other characteristics in sentinel pharmacies of the province of Barcelona, with the aim of improving the contraception program. This study found that the average age of women buying EC was 28 years old, and 56% of customers…

Every Hour Matters campaign resources for post-rape care

Together for Girls, along with partners PAHO, WHO, UN Women, Women Deliver, Save the Children USA, Care International, Child Helpline International, Jhpiego, SafeTrek, BD, and Cummins & Partners developed new Every Hour Matters campaign resources. The Every Hour Matters campaign aims to increase awareness about the critical importance of quickly accessing post-rape care. The resources are available…

Awareness and knowledge regarding EC in Berlin adolescents

A study published in The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care assessed awareness and knowledge of EC among adolescents in Berlin, Germany. The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey among ninth graders in a convenience sample of 13 Berlin schools in which they assessed perceived and actual knowledge on the effectiveness, timeframe, and availability of…

Contraception atlas for Europe released

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…

New EC tools from Switzerland

In March 2016, pharmaSuisse and IENK (groupe interdisciplinaire d’experts/es en contraception d’urgence) published tools to facilitate EC counseling and provision among health care professionals, such as pharmacists and family planning staff. These tools, including a flow-chart (seen at right), are available in French, German, and Italian and can be accessed through the box on the…

Abortion rate drops in Italy

According to a report published by the Italian Ministry of Health (available in English), the abortion rate in Italy dropped by 9,3% in 2015. In April 2015, the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) eliminated the mandatory prescription requirement for UPA EC pills for women older than 18, and in October 2015, AIFA eliminated the mandatory prescription requirement for LNG EC pills as well. This…