Global health initiatives mark World Contraception Day

Global health initiatives and local community programs have converged to mark World Contraception Day and the Day for the Prevention of Unintended Adolescent Pregnancy. In Italy, Gedeon Richter Italia launched ‘Il patto sulla contraccezione’, a campaign involving gynecologists to foster open dialogue and informed decision-making between women and healthcare professionals.

In the Dominican Republic, adolescent pregnancy rates have seen a decline, dropping from 27,476 cases in 2021 to 16,481 in 2025, though challenges regarding early unions and cultural taboos persist. Similarly, Costa Rica has reported a sustained decrease in births among women under 20, supported by national health strategies.

On a global scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) is introducing new guidelines to expand contraceptive options, including the potential development of male contraceptives and updated standards for hormonal methods. These efforts aim to address the fact that 164 million women remain without adequate coverage. Meanwhile, community-level efforts in Argentina and Mozambique continue to focus on providing free reproductive health services and education to adolescents to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.