Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Morning-after pill 'should be sold off the shelf'

Women and girls should be able to get hold of emergency contraception more easily without the need for a consultation with a pharmacist, say women's health experts.

A report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends the morning-after pill "should be sold straight off the shelf", like condoms.

There are too many barriers to health services for women in the UK, it says.

And their needs should be a priority.

The report, Better for Women, is also calling for women to be allowed to take the first abortion pill at home, as well as the second, if they know they are less than 10 weeks pregnant.

It said women should be able to have a consultation for an early medical abortion over the phone or via Skype.

The report also recommends a network of one-stop health clinics for women, offering smear tests, contraceptives and advice all in one place.

At the moment, women and girls have to have a consultation with a pharmacist before they can be given an emergency contraceptive, or morning-after pill - taken within five days of unprotected sex.

This can leave them feeling "uncomfortable, embarrassed or judged", the report says.

It recommends that the morning-after pill should be available "in front of the counter" and off the shelf, alongside pregnancy tests and condoms.


'I felt patronised trying to get emergency contraception'

Jane, 25, from the West Midlands, was turned away by the first pharmacy she visited to get the morning-after pill because they had no appointments that day.

After protesting, she eventually saw a pharmacist and was given the emergency contraceptive - but only after lots of questioning.

She said she felt as if she'd done something wrong.

"I felt really judged and patronised. I'm pretty sure he said something like, 'That was silly'," Jane says.

"After that I just felt angry that women are made to go through this when there is a really simple solution."

Emergency contraception is available free of charge without prescription from all pharmacies in Scotland and Wales.

In England, contraception services are commissioned locally and are on offer in sexual health clinics, some GP surgeries and most pharmacies - but are not always free of charge.

The College says cuts to public health budgets have made it more difficult for women to access the services they need - figures obtained by the BBC last year suggest nearly half of councils in England had plans to reduce contraception services.

This may have led to rising conception rates and abortions among older women, because of unplanned pregnancies, the report says.

In 2018, more than 205,000 abortions were performed in England and Wales.

The report also calls for the progestogen-only contraceptive pill, taken once a day, to be available over the counter in pharmacies instead of with a prescription from a GP.

It says girls and women should be able to order the pills online like any other pharmacy product.

Prof Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the progestogen-only contraceptive pill (Pop) was very safe, and a consultation with a GP before starting to take it was "unnecessary".

The report also recommends:

long-term contraception should be discussed straight after a woman gives birth
improved access to abortions for all women
one-stop women's health clinics should be set up and open at weekends and evenings
three full cycles of IVF should be offered to all eligible women in the UK
GP appointment times should be extended to 15 minutes
The report said: "Too many women are spending years in pain and discomfort because [GP] appointment times are too short and demands on the time of doctors and other healthcare professionals are too great.

"This makes women less likely to talk about their issues."

The report points out that longer appointments would save the NHS money in the long term.

Dr Asha Kasliwal, president of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said women and girls, including under-18s, must have free and timely access to all methods of emergency contraception.

"While emergency contraception is free in some places in England, many will choose to access it in pharmacies where cost and opening times vary considerably.

"Consultations with pharmacists are highly recommended and best practice, as this is a valuable opportunity for individuals to discuss their contraceptive needs with a healthcare professional.

"However, a consultation should not be a barrier to receiving emergency contraception."

Prof Regan said the key was ensuring services were more joined up and responsive to the need of girls and women.

"It is important we provide a comprehensive health service for girls and women throughout their lives.

"We want to empower 51% of the population to be as healthy as possible and ensure no-one is left behind," she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×