Bogotá: Difference between revisions

In Colombia, contraceptives are legal and widely available. They can be purchased over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> <ref>[http://freethepill.org/where-on-earth/ Free the Pill: Where on Earth?]</ref>  

In 2015, it was found that about 78% of Colombian women (who were between 15-49 years old and married/in unions) used some form of contraception, including traditional methods, which was a bit higher than the South American average for that year (about 75% of women). Furthermore, about 8% of women had unmet family planning needs, which was lower than the South American average of that year (about 10%). The most common forms of contraception was female sterilization (about 34% of women). This was followed by contraceptive injectables (9%), birth control pills (85), IUDs (7%), and male condoms (7%). There were rather low rates of usage for contraceptive implants (3%) and male sterilization (3%). Traditional methods, such as withdrawal/pull out method (4%) and the rhythm method (3%) were also not very common. There were practically no users of vaginal barrier methods (less than 1%).<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use 2015]</ref>

As reported by the Guttmacher Institute: "Despite notable gains in contraceptive use over the past two decades, 67% of all pregnancies in Colombia were unintended in 2008, an increase from 52% in 1989."<ref>[https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-and-induced-abortion-colombia Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion in Colombia]</ref>

In 2010, the Colombian Congress passed a law that guaranteed free access to contraceptives for all citizens, including procedures like vasectomies and sterilization. When the law first passed, the first communities to receive attention were those most in need. As reported by the LA Times in 2010, "The benefits are only now filtering down to shanty neighborhoods... where birthrates are among the nation's highest, particularly among teenagers." Furthermore, "Activists hail the legislation as a progressive measure for reproductive rights, part of a general liberalizing trend in this largely Roman Catholic nation that has included recent rulings by the constitutional court removing penalties for performing abortions." The LA Times also reported on the possible economic benefits of this legislation: "Colombia's healthcare system is on the verge of collapse because of the constitutional guarantees of universal care, as funding from tax and other government revenue falls short. Because maternity and neonatal care are among the healthcare system's fastest-growing costs, free contraceptive medicine and surgeries could end up saving the government money."<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/12/world/la-fg-colombia-birth-control-20101212 Colombia launches large-scale birth control effort]</ref>