WHO global contraceptive guideline updates

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued updated global guidelines to expand contraceptive options and address the needs of approximately 164 million women who currently lack access to family planning. These recommendations include endorsing etonogestrel subcutaneous implants for up to five years, supporting flexible schedules for combined oral contraceptive pills, and endorsing mifepristone for emergency contraception when administered within five days of unprotected intercourse. To promote gender equality, the WHO is also developing guidelines for male contraceptives and extending its prequalification program to include essential medical devices like intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Coinciding with World Contraception Day and the World Day for the Prevention of Unintended Pregnancy in Adolescents, global health initiatives and local community programs have converged to emphasize improved reproductive healthcare. Regional trends show varying progress: the Dominican Republic has seen adolescent pregnancy rates decline, with cases dropping from 27,476 in 2021 to 16,481 in 2025, though cultural taboos and early unions remain obstacles. In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Health reports a sustained decline in births among women under 20 through community empowerment programs.

In Mexico, the government has declared adolescent pregnancy among girls under 15 a public health emergency, launching the ‘Niñas Sí, Madres No’ strategy to combat sexual violence and what authorities describe as ‘forced fecundity’. Meanwhile, in Argentina and Mozambique, community-level efforts continue to focus on providing free reproductive health services and education to adolescents to prevent unplanned pregnancies and STIs. In Italy, Gedeon Richter Italia has launched ‘Il patto sulla contraccezione’ (The Contraception Pact), a campaign involving gynecologists to foster more open and informed dialogue between women and healthcare professionals.