“Morning-After” Pill May Be Sold to Minors without Parental Consent

The so-called “morning-after” pill, used as an emergency contraceptive, can be sold in pharmacies to minors without requiring the presence of a parent, the National Institute of Women (Inamu) urged about a week ago. Asking that one of the relatives be present is considered, according to this institution, a violation of the rights of minors.

“There is ample legislation that protects the right to the reproductive and sexual health of minors, their privacy in access to this right and their self-determination, and it applies to both the public and private sectors. So, when minors seek to acquire the emergency contraceptive in pharmacies, they cannot be required to have their parents present”, Inamu said in a press release.

An article published by the “Semanario Universidad” reported that some pharmacies that market the pill put people “buts”, including minors. “In our country, there is an Executive Decree No. 41772-S, dated April 23rd, 2019, which allows free or non-prescription marketing of levonorgestrel, an emergency oral contraceptive (AOE). This decree does not restrict access to this contraceptive by age reasons”, explained Inamu.

The drug, from the pharmaceutical house Quinfica called Posterga, began to be sold in Costa Rica in June of the current year, at a cost of ¢ 18 thousand for consumers. However, on May 16th, 2019, the decree of the Ministry of Health that authorized the sale of the tablet in Costa Rica entered into force, without the need for a prescription.

This medicine is an emergency contraception method, so it should only be used in exceptional cases and not as a planning method.