Costa Rica Women's Commission to reinstate emergency contraception in sexual assault protocol

The Women's Commission of the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly has announced that emergency contraception will be reinstated in a legislative project designed to institutionalize the ‘72-hour protocol’ for victims of sexual assault.

The decision follows significant controversy after a substitute text was initially approved by deputies from the Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) and Liberación Nacional (PLN) parties, which had removed the provision for emergency contraceptive pills. The removal was driven by concerns from some legislators regarding whether the medication could act as an abortifacient in cases where a victim might already be pregnant from a prior encounter.

In response to backlash from medical associations, academic institutions, and human rights groups, Commission President Kattia Calvo confirmed that the pill and a mandatory pregnancy test will be reintegrated into the bill. The proposed law aims to provide a formal legal framework to ensure comprehensive medical and legal care for sexual assault survivors within the first 72 hours of an incident.