Day of dialogue: Mainstreaming emergency contraception in the National Family Welfare Program

The Population Council, in collaboration with the Family Planning Association of India, hosted a Day of Dialogue which addressed issues related to access, availability and use of emergency contraception pills (ECP). Some of the key issues addressed in this consultation included: provider knowledge on mechanism of action and attitudes toward easy access to ECP and its link to premarital sex and promiscuity, repeated use of ECP, and lack of information about ECP among potential users. The Population Council shared key findings of a recent study on knowledge, attitudes, and opinions of gynecologists and pharmacists on ECP use. The one-day consultation also had a panel on the role of pharmaceutical companies, social marketing organizations, and NGOs in increasing access of the product to all women who need it; another panel discussed the role of the public sector and medical associations in mainstreaming ECP in the National Family Welfare Program. This report condenses the deliberations and propositions for follow-up actions put forward at the consultation