The morning after pill is legal again in Honduras

A woman pregnant with her fifth child in Tela, Honduras, in a file photo. YOSEPH-AMAYA (Getty Images)

Honduras gave women back the right to decide over their bodies, at least partially, with access to the emergency contraceptive pill (PAE).

This Wednesday, International Women's Day, the president of the Central American country, Xiomara Castro, announced the executive agreement "for its free use and commercialization."

"The World Health Organization (WHO) determined that it is part of the reproductive rights of women and it is not abortive," she said on her networks.

The last three words are addressed to the ultra-conservative and religious sector that has spent years blowing up the feminist struggle to advance the sexual rights of half the population.

Honduras is one of the five countries in the region where the voluntary interruption of pregnancy is totally prohibited.

This Wednesday it has also become the last country in Latin America to allow the morning after pill.

This will be free in health centers and will also be obtained without a prescription in pharmacies, like any other contraceptive.

“It is a huge victory for the feminist movement,” explains Jinna Rosales, coordinator of the Ge PAE, the strategic group that has been fighting for the legalization of the pill for 13 years.

“Unfortunately there is a huge disinformation campaign by anti-rights and religious groups that also reaches decision makers.”

Although the components change (only levonorgestrel or ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel), emergency contraception has no abortifacient effects, since it would not be effective against a fertilized ovum.

However, this mistaken belief has gone from mouth to mouth among men who have decided on this women's health service, which in addition to being legal throughout Latin America, is free in several countries such as Chile, Argentina, Spain or Mexico. .

ECP was banned in Honduras in 2009 under the false pretense that it was "abortive."

This was one of the first rights taken away after the coup d'état in Honduras, since its use was free and free in the country since 1999. Since then, moralistic ideas around the pill have permeated among the most conservative sectors of the country, including the current Minister of Health, José Manuel Matheu, who, despite appearing smiling at the signing of the executive agreement this Wednesday, has never hidden his suspicion.

The also doctor has stated several times that he would consult the debate with the Episcopal Conference and in an interview with the BBC he even assured that he was not going to promote the measure "so that there is sexual debauchery."

“We are going to use the morning after pill for the victim of a rape.

Under this premise that ignores the autonomy of women to decide on their bodies, a measure was approved at the end of 2022 in which the sale of PAE was only allowed for survivors of sexual violence.

This initiative was celebrated by some, who pointed out that it was a first step, and criticized by others such as the Honduran Women's Rights Center (CDM), who regretted that it is a “revictimizing” initiative.

“This forces the girls or women who have been raped to go to the hospital so that the health workers can verify it,” explains Argentina Rodríguez, a communicator and spokesperson for CDM.

"In addition, given the underreporting of these cases, it would not benefit even 1% of those affected."

According to a study by the entity, per year, only 50 women victims of sexual violence go to the health center.

However, last year, the country recorded 2.

Now the hardest work begins

The fight for equality was the political banner of the president who, in her government plan, assured that she would promote sexual education, combat gender violence, incorporate more women into the economy, legalize abortion in limited circumstances and annul the ban of emergency contraceptive pills.

This is one of Castro's first most tangible measures, applauded even by the most critical feminists of his government.

The work now, explain the women who have promoted this legalization, is oversight.

"There is such a strong sector against our rights that now is when the strongest work of awareness, sexual education and demystification of everything that is invented around sexual rights begins," says Regina Fonseca,

Costa Rica was the last country that approved the PAE in Latin America, in 2019, and the delivery of the pills is given through the Costa Rican Social Security Fund free of charge to the population.

For Marcia Aguiluz, Legal Director for Latin America at Women's Link, the president's decision is a complete success: “It means removing a barrier to access to sexual and reproductive health;

It means that girls, adolescents and women who require this pill, either because they have had sex in unprotected relationships or because they have been victims of sexual violence, can have it.

This measure will prevent teenage pregnancies and, above all, guarantee women's access to health.

It's historic."

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