Contraception is understood to forestall undesirable pregnancies and, in terms of condoms, offer protection to towards sexually transmitted infections (STIs). When it involves contraceptives, female and male condoms are among the best obstacles to STIs together with HIV, in keeping with the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
So, on International Condom Day, 2023, why is there nonetheless such disparity in get admission to to birth control round Europe?
The European Parliament encourages safeguarding get admission to to birth control. As not too long ago as 2021, a parliamentary file on sexual and reproductive well being wired that each one member states are inspired to supply common get admission to to contraceptive strategies and deal with any obstacles.
Yet govt insurance policies around the European Union proceed to alter broadly.
Financial inequality between western and jap member states is thought to be a part of the issue. Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights advised Euronews: “In east European countries, up until the early 1990s, contraception was not very well known, it was not very accessible so, we are still dealing with the legacy of that even today.”
Recommendations
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has designated 13 February as International Condom Day. It says the development used to be created to inspire more secure sexual practices on a world scale and advertise the usage of birth control to forestall unintentional pregnancies and STIs.
The EU mirrors this message and has often known as on public government to make sure scholars in faculties are given a rounded training on sexual well being. It calls for pro counselling to be supplied on a variety of contraceptive strategies in keeping with requirements set via the World Health Organization.
But, those are suggestions and the 27 Member States don’t seem to be obliged to behave on them.
“Governments have not been very proactive in thinking about their policies in relation to contraception,” mentioned Datta. He went on to give an explanation for that some nations also are towards wider birth control insurance policies, according to the concept encouraging the usage of birth control could have a unfavourable have an effect on on fertility charges.
‘Best accessibility’
The Contraception Policy Atlas, designed via the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, breaks down birth control insurance policies in 46 nations throughout Europe. Its findings recommend that France has the most efficient get admission to to birth control, counselling and the best availability of on-line data products and services out of all EU member states. Accessibility used to be rated at 93.2%.
France introduced its pharmacies would offer loose condoms to folks elderly 18-25 from January 2023 after well being government came upon that the collection of STIs in France greater via 30% in each 2020 and 2021. A programme offering loose STI trying out and the emergency contraceptive tablet has additionally been rolled out.
In Ireland, loose condoms are to be had to folks of every age via sexual well being clinics and a few third-level faculties. In addition, from 1 September 2023, loose birth control might be given to 16-year-old women and to ladies between the ages of 26 and 30 as a part of the nationwide price range. The nationwide well being provider has additionally introduced it’s going to spend €500,000 on condoms and lubricants as a part of an ongoing marketing campaign towards “crisis pregnancies” and STIs – amounting to one.5 million loose condoms once a year.
Germany additionally introduced that it needs to observe France’s lead and finance condoms via its nationwide medical insurance. For now, even though, birth control comes at a value throughout the nationwide well being scheme, despite the fact that particular provisions duvet delivery regulate tablets and emergency birth control for teens as much as the age of twenty-two.
‘Lowest accessibility’
The Contraception Policy Atlas places Poland on the reverse finish of the size, with a ranking of simply 33.5% in relation to public get admission to to birth control. Emergency contraceptive tablets want to be prescribed via a health care provider and don’t seem to be to be had over-the-counter in pharmacies.
Meanwhile, in Hungary, there is not any publicly-funded web page for birth control products and services and a prescription is wanted for all contraceptive provides with the exception of condoms and emergency birth control.
Role of politics and faith
“Policies on contraception influence people’s behaviours in accessing contraception. One aspect is whether it is covered by the respective national health system. If it is not covered by the national health systems then it creates financial barriers for individuals who want to use it” mentioned Datta.
Religion may be crucial issue, “most religions, Christian religions specifically, do discourage the use of contraception, particularly in the world of Catholicism.
“So the place the ones religions are very robust, the narratives in the market which do discourage the usage of contraceptives and non secular actors could have affect over public insurance policies” he added.
The right kind of sex education
Yet, in Europe as a whole, the unintended pregnancy rate has declined by 53% over the past 30 years, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Some experts argue that one of the factors behind declining unintended pregnancy rates is the promotion of sex education in schools, which is widely encouraged by the European Parliament and the World Health Organization.
“Comprehensive sexuality training teaches younger folks each about birth control and about recognize and consent inside of relationships together with sexual relationships. This has an overly certain knock-on impact on folks figuring out easy methods to save you unintentional pregnancies and the way to give protection to their very own well being via having the ability to empower themselves to keep away from sexually transmitted infections” said Datta.
Sex education remains a topical issue. In some countries, such as Ireland and France, it is a compulsory part of school education, but in Italy, for example, sex ed is optional.
Where available, education is often delivered through a variety of school subjects as part of a cross-curricular programme. Various aspects are taught through biology, home economics and social sciences.
Yet sex education does not necessarily provide students with information on contraception methods.
Natalie Picken, an analyst for the RAND Corporation, a non-profit specialising in improving policy and decision-making through research, told Euronews that education on contraception is only included in the sex education curriculum in some EU countries.
“It is most likely that the content material, nature and extent of those programmes numerous significantly between areas, faculties, and categories” she added.
Picken’s analysis discovered that the majority EU individuals have restricted trainer coaching alternatives in intercourse training, regardless of its advantages.
“There is strong evidence that sexuality education can lead to reduced risk-taking, delayed initiation of sexual intercourse, and more use of contraception and condoms and generally improves young people’s knowledge and attitudes around sexual health,” she mentioned.
How can EU nations bridge the distance?
Implementing higher get admission to to birth control can also be pricey however there are methods government can rise up to hurry.
“One easy quick fix that is accessible to any government would be to provide government supported information for example via a website which provides authentic, authoritative information… that is within the capacity of each government no matter how strapped it may be”, concludes Datta.
