Webinar: Emergency Contraception in Latin America: Experiences and Challenges

Emergency Contraception in Latin America: Experiences and Challenges

On April 22, PAI co-hosted a regional webinar, “Emergency Contraception in Latin America: Experiences and Challenges,” in partnership with ForoLAC, the Latin America and Caribbean platform of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC). The webinar convened partners, advocates, and experts from across the region to examine persistent barriers to emergency contraception (EC) access and highlight strategies that are working to overcome them. Featuring insights from PAI’s Fernando De La Torre Gorraez and partners in Peru, the Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristán and Promsex, the session grounded regional trends in lived experience and on-the-ground implementation.

A Critical Method Out of Reach

Across Latin America, EC remains a critical yet underutilized component of the contraceptive method mix. While many countries include EC in national policies or clinical guidelines, access in practice is still not guaranteed. Misinformation, stigma, and provider bias continue to shape who can obtain EC, when, and under what conditions. These barriers are particularly acute for adolescents, Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, and those living in rural or geographically isolated areas. Expanding access to EC is a public health priority matter as much as it is one of equity and autonomy to exercise fundamental reproductive rights.

Updates to the Evidence

The webinar opened with a technical update reflecting the latest guidance from the World Health Organization, reinforcing that EC is safe, effective, and can be used more flexibly than previously understood. Updated evidence confirms that:

• EC can be used multiple times within a menstrual cycle without health risks
• EC does not harm future fertility or long-term health
• EC remains effective for up to five days after unprotected intercourse
• There is no evidence of harm to fetal or child development if taken during early pregnancy

Despite this robust evidence base, outdated beliefs and myths continue to influence both public perception and provider practices. Persistent misconceptions—such as that EC causes infertility, induces abortion, or poses significant health risks—continue to limit access and deter use, underscoring the urgent need for accurate, rights-based information.

From Policy to Practice: The Acceso Approach

Drawing on the Acceso program, PAI and partners shared how integrated, community-driven approaches are helping close these gaps. Rather than treating access as a single intervention, the Acceso model brings together four core pillars:

• Strengthening SRHR literacy
• Advancing policy and financing advocacy
• Improving health systems accountability
• Mobilizing community action

Together, these strategies work to ensure that EC is not only available in policy, but accessible in practice.

Lived Context From Peru

Experiences from the Amazonian region of Ucayali, Peru illustrate how this approach translates to impact. In communities marked by geographic isolation, high rates of sexual violence, and limited state presence, partners have worked to build knowledge and agency at the community level. Through culturally relevant training programs, Indigenous women leaders have been equipped to share accurate information about EC within their communities, reaching populations that formal health systems often fail to serve. These efforts have been complemented by youth-led monitoring of health services, which has helped identify gaps such as stockouts, discriminatory practices, and unnecessary requirements that restrict access.

At the same time, partners have engaged health providers, pharmacists, educators, and local authorities to address stigma and improve service delivery. This multi-level engagement has been critical in shifting attitudes, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that legal rights translate into real-world access. Generating evidence and strategically disseminating it, including through partnerships with journalists and digital content creators, has further helped uplift EC within broader public health and rights agendas.

Partners’ regional examples highlighted during the webinar reinforced the broader potential of this model. In Mexico, community-based education and culturally tailored tools have contributed to measurable reductions in adolescent pregnancy in targeted areas. In El Salvador, youth networks have expanded access to SRHR information and services in highly restrictive environments. In the Dominican Republic, advocacy efforts have strengthened contraceptive supply systems and increased demand for services. Across these contexts, a common lesson emerged: progress depends on sustained investment in local leadership, community trust, and systems that are responsive to people’s needs.

Takeaways

The webinar underscored that expanding access to EC requires more than availability. It requires:

• Informed communities with accurate, rights-based information
• Trained and unbiased providers who can deliver care without stigma
• Reliable supply chains to ensure consistent access
• Strong community engagement to build trust and demand
• Sustained advocacy to protect and advance rights in challenging political environments

As partners across Latin America continue to navigate both progress and backlash, approaches like Acceso demonstrate that meaningful change is possible when it is rooted in evidence, equity, and the leadership of the communities most affected.