It will no longer be necessary to have a medical prescription to dispense ulipistral acetate (EllaOne), the drug used for emergency contraception up to five days after intercourse, even to minors.
This was established by the Italian Medicines Agency with Resolution no.
998 of last 8 October.
"This is a highly effective tool for emergency contraception for young women who have had unprotected intercourse, within 5 days of intercourse, - says AIFA Director General,
Nicola Magrini
- and it is also, in my opinion, an ethical tool as it allows to avoid the critical moments that are usually borne only by girls. I want to emphasize that it is emergency contraception and that it is not a drug to be used regularly ".
At the time of purchase at the pharmacy, the drug will be accompanied by an information sheet with the aim of promoting informed contraception and avoiding inappropriate use of emergency contraception.
It is a "turning point for the protection of the physical and psychological health of adolescents".
This is how the Italian Medicines Agency Aifa defines the decision to abolish the prescription requirement for emergency contraception up to 5 days later also for minors.
In fact, the majority of adolescent pregnancies, says the Drug Agency, "are unplanned and many end in abortion. The event of birth in adolescents is often accompanied by risk situations, connected both to the young mother's difficulty in accessing to maternal and child services, and to a series of significant interpersonal and psychological problems ".
In fact, the Agency notes, adolescent mothers are "not only less likely to complete their studies and consequently a lower chance of employment and future integration into the world of work, but also more likely to raise their children from alone and in poverty ".
Furthermore, adolescent pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of perinatal morbidity / mortality.