- The WHO considers the contraceptive pill as one of the best methods for family planning.
- Although it prevents pregnancy, it does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
- Despite its popularity, not all nations offer facilities for its acquisition.
The anticonceptive pill It is listed among the inventions that revolutionized the world. Its commercialization began in the 1960s and since then it has become one of the most popular family planning methods in the world. Since then millions of women have used it or use it on a daily basis.
In that vein, one of the most important clarifications is that it only works to prevent pregnancies. While it in no way protects against sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, genital herpes, condyloma acuminata, gonorrhea, HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. To stay protected against this type of disease, it is necessary to use a condom.
Perception around the world
Now, despite the popularity and high efficacy of the contraceptive pillone of the biggest problems is that not all countries offer the same facilities for its acquisition.
In fact, a few days ago we informed you that The pharmaceutical company HRA Pharma filed an application to freely sell its contraceptive pill in the United States. The proposal is still under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but if approved it would be the first of its kind in that nation.
On the other hand, according to what was reported by the BBCthe measure is not related to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Justice that annulled the decree that guaranteed the right to abortion in the American Union.
On this subject, the World Health Organization (WHO) has pointed out that Over-the-counter contraceptives are a critical piece in reducing unwanted pregnancies.
With this in mind, Statista created a map about the restrictions that exist in the world to acquire the contraceptive pill. Generally speaking, developed countries generally require a prescription for their sale, while others even require a doctor-authorized pregnancy test.
Where can it be purchased freely and without restrictions?
What is observed is that there are very few countries where you can buy the anticonceptive pill free form because a prescription is not required. Within this group are China, India, Paraguay, Venezuela and Egypt.
Whereas in The United States, Canada, and most of Europe require a prescription to be purchased. For this reason, women are limited and sometimes must resort to other methods to terminate their pregnancy.
For its part, according to the working group of The Oral Contraceptives OTC Working Group, offering the pill without a prescription can significantly reduce unwanted gaps in contraceptive use. What he mentions is that there are areas where medical appointments are difficult to get, clinics are far away or people do not have enough resources to pay or extra trips.