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News
The World Health Organization just dropped new contraceptive guidelines, expanding safe options for both women and men. Key updates include extended use of oral contraceptives, longer-lasting implants, and mifepristone as an emergency contraception option. WHO also published its first-ever Target Product Profile for male contraceptives, signaling a push for new reversible methods within the next decade.
The World Health Organization has released new guidelines on expanding contraceptive options, aiming to give people more evidence-backed choices in family planning. With an estimated 164 million women who want to avoid pregnancy still not using contraception, the guidelines address both access and variety — recommending extended use of combined oral contraceptive pills (up to six months cyclically or one year continuously), contraceptive implants for up to five years, and mifepristone (10–50 mg) as a new emergency contraception option within five days of unprotected sex.
On the flip side, WHO cautioned against adding ormeloxifene or quinestrol-containing pills to national programs due to limited safety evidence.
In a notable first, WHO also published a Target Product Profile for male contraceptives, outlining the safety, efficacy, and affordability benchmarks future methods should meet. With over 75% of surveyed couples willing to use a new male contraceptive, and several candidates in advanced clinical trials, new reversible options could hit the market within 5–10 years.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These guidelines give clinicians and policymakers a clearer, evidence-based roadmap for expanding family planning access globally — and signal a long-overdue shift toward shared contraceptive responsibility between men and women.
