On Wednesday, the government of Argentina announced that it will be possible to purchase the so-called “morning-after pill”, the pill for emergency contraception, without having to show a prescription: it can therefore be bought directly by the person who needs it in pharmacy, with one less passage for those who want to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. It is unclear whether the measure will go into effect immediately or not.
For Argentina, one of the most important countries in Latin America and where the Catholic Church has a lot of influence, direct access to contraception is an important change, which adds to others in recent years: in 2020 the government had to example legalized the voluntary interruptions of pregnancy up to the fourteenth week. Previously they were only allowed in cases of rape or serious risks to the woman’s health.
The emergency contraceptive pill is available without a prescription in one seventy of states in the world (Italy is one of these). Simplifying a lot, the morning after pill interferes with the process that can initiate a pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, delaying or blocking ovulation or fertilization of the egg depending on when it is taken. Second the World Health Organization (WHO), this type of pill can be effective up to 120 hours after intercourse, but it is recommended to take it within the first 12 hours.