Chile and Emergency Contraception

Chile’s president, Michelle Bachelet, sees EC as part of a health policy for women that includes sex education and contraception, and recognizes that EC is an important contraceptive option for women.  Maria Soledad Barria, Chile’s minister of health, expects that changing Chile's policy on EC can help reduce teen pregnancy — 17 percent of the nation’s pregnancies occur among women aged 15 to 19.  The decision to provide EC at no cost to women 14 and older is significant for two reasons: EC is shown to be effective in reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, and access to EC is vital when a woman has no access to legal and safe abortion procedures.  Abortion is illegal in Chile, even when the life of the woman is endangered.

Access to EC is crucial in preventing unintended pregnancies.  Because EC is more effective the sooner it is taken, it is important that it be available without the unnecessary barrier of a prescription.  Providing EC free at public health clinics ensures that all women, regardless of ability to pay, will be able to better prevent unintended pregnancies if they are able to use it whenever they are at risk of unintended pregnancy from unprotected intercourse.

When abortion is illegal, women seek illegal abortions, which are more likely to be unsafe than legal abortion and more likely to result in complications and death.  Latin American countries have extremely restrictive abortion laws and a high rate of unsafe abortion — it is estimated that 26 unsafe abortions occur per 1,000 women of reproductive age.  Access to free EC without a prescription can help prevent many women from having to seek illegal, unsafe abortions, and this, in turn, can save women’s lives.

EC gives the women of Chile an effective and accessible way to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse.  All Chile's citizens will benefit from fewer unintended pregnancies and lower maternal mortality and morbidity.  As Barria says, "This is a matter of public health."