This Thursday, the Official Gazette published the decree that modifies the conditions for the sale of emergency contraception. People will no longer need a medical prescription to purchase it.
By order of the Ministry of Health and the President of the Republic, from now on
emergency oral contraceptive dispensing will be allowed, without medical prescription, this being understood as that hormonal contraceptive that is administered orally and that to be effective must be taken within of the first 72 hours after an unprotected sexual intercourse, or due to failure of another contraceptive method.”
On April 25th, the Sanitary Registry was granted to the pill called Levonorgestrel from the pharmaceutical company Geodon Ritcher PLC. Levonorgestrel is a hormone that can be used as an emergency contraceptive but should not be used as a method of birth control, that is, it is not for daily use.
This hormone prevents pregnancy after the woman has had unprotected sex, the condom has broken, or if she has been a victim of rape. Experts have clarified that this pill is not abortive and that the only side effects it could have are: headache, vomiting or a mild bleeding.
The drug is not yet for sale.