Brazil To Offer EC As Part Of Program That Provides Access To Low-Cost Oral Contraceptives, Health Minister Says

Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao on Monday announced that the country will add emergency contraceptives to its program that will aim to provide women with access to low-cost oral contraceptives at 10,000 pharmacies nationwide, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Lehman, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 6/26). EC, which contains high doses of progestin, can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/20).

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, while announcing the contraceptive program in May, said it will give low-income Brazilians the "same right that the wealthy have to plan the number of children they want." No-cost condoms and birth control pills are available at government pharmacies in the country, but many people go to private pharmacies, according to Temporao.

The oral contraceptives cost $2.40 annually under the plan and will be available to anyone with a government-issued identification card, regardless of income. About 3,500 pharmacies initially will participate in the $51 million program, and the number is expected to increase to 10,000 by the end of 2007. The government expects to distribute about 50 million packages of pills annually once the program has been fully implemented (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/30).

Speaking at a round-table discussion sponsored by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, Temporao did not indicate whether the government will subsidize EC or if it will be available at no cost. He said EC is an "important tool for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies that will definitely be part of our strategy" to help the country's low-income residents have the same access to birth control as others. Ana Lucia Cavalcanti, who heads women's programs for Sao Paulo, called on the government also to launch education programs to teach low-income women how to use EC (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 6/26).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.