In 2024, women in the UK will be able to access contraceptive pills over the counter without a prescription, announced by the government on November 16, 2023. In the future, the "pill" will be available at local chemists or pharmacies known as "Over-the-Counter" (OTC) services.
This is great news for women in the UK, and as a black woman, I am proud that the UK is moving forward with easy access to contraception. However, questions must be asked, how common is OTC services worldwide? Do more countries need to follow suit? What are the pros and cons? And which demographic of women around the world are excluded by this move, allowing women more control over when or if they have children? While this may seem like a "victory" for women in the UK, is it really?
Europe's Stance on Access to Contraceptives for Women
In October, Euro News secured 46 countries in providing contraceptive care. 41.3% were in the "green zone" with 60-96% coverage. 19 out of the 46 places fell into this category. This is good news for women in these places. Over a third of European countries are doing a great job.
6 countries (13.4%) fell into the yellow zone, securing 55-59% coverage in providing contraceptives. This indicates that a minority have a "good" level of care but there is potential for improvement.
The remaining 21 countries (the majority) fell into the orange to red zones. They secured over 54%. This shows us that the majority of Europe is not doing well, with the highest cluster of places falling from orange to red zones. This may be called "needs improvement."
When we look at the places that need improvement or have low scores, they are mainly in Eastern Europe. The question is, what is happening to women in that region of Europe. Why are they...