New Report: Slovak Women Struggle to Buy Birth Control

For too many Slovak women, modern contraceptives remain tragically out of reach, according to a new report released by the Center and its partners Freedom of Choice Slovakia and Citizen, Democracy, and Accountability.

Contraception is critical to a woman’s ability to prevent unintended pregnancy and make some of the most basic decisions about her health and life. It’s not surprising then that international health and human rights standards require governments to make modern contraceptives affordable and accessible.

But unlike most other European Union countries, Slovakia does not help women pay for contraceptives. As a result, high costs deter many women from using contraception.

“If there is no money, then I only have one option: that I will not take contraceptives,” said Maria, a 19-year-old student. As we discovered while researching the report, low-income women are often forced to make a choice between feeding their families and buying contraceptives.

But instead of addressing the problem, the Slovak Ministry of Health is currently planning to exclude contraceptives from being covered by public health insurance.

Calculated Injustice: The Slovak Republic’s Failure to Ensure Access to Contraceptives documents the problems women and adolescent girls in Slovakia face because they lack access to affordable contraception. The Center gathered testimonies from women, healthcare providers, pharmacists, and other stakeholders.

We are using the report’s findings to urge the Slovak government to guarantee access to a wide range of affordable contraceptives and make sure they are covered by public health insurance just like any other essential drug.

Source: http://reproductiverights.org