Access Denied? Malta’s Hefty Hurdles To Contraception Gives It Below Average Scoring In New EU Survey
Malta’s access to contraception is below the European average, ranking 31st in a study covering 46 countries, a new EU study has revealed.
This figure comes from the Contraception Policy Atlas of Europe for 2023, which tracks government policies on access to contraceptive supplies, family planning counselling and the provision of online information on contraception.
Malta received a poor score of 51.6%, due to current hurdles to contraception, including a general lack of contraceptive coverage within the national health system.
As it stands, the islands offer no special coverage for young people or vulnerable people like unemployed or low-income individuals.
Malta ranks just below Ukraine, and above Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Greece and Croatia.
In contrast, the United Kingdom scored the highest score with 96.9%, followed by France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden.
Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Poland ranked the worst. Poland, which came last with a score of 33.5%, is also one of the only countries in Europe, like Malta, to ban abortion.
Source: https://www.epfweb.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Contraception_Policy_Atlas_Europe2023.pdf
This study concludes that “access to modern, effective and affordable contraception remains a European challenge” and echoes the European Parliament’s call to ensure universal access to contraception by removing any financial and social barriers.
Contraception in Malta has faced a sea of criticism in recent years, and with a sexual health policy that is bone-dry and more than a decade old, it’s not hard to see why.
A Lovin Malta survey found that out of 769 respondents, an overwhelming 81.5% agreed that contraception should either be free or subsidised because safe sex shouldn’t be a luxury for those who can afford it.
Political parties have responded with proposals. During election season, the Labour Party pledged that the morning-after pill and contraception would be free at health centres.
The Nationalist Party proposed free contraception and morning-after pills in 2021, insisting it would reduce demand for abortion, while PL women’s branch Nisa Laburisti had proposed it back in 2020.
Until Malta gets a robust sexual health policy, check out Lovin Malta’s guide to everything you need to know about contraceptives on the islands.
Do you think Malta needs better access to contraception?
READ NEXT: 'Transcending Partisanship': Lawyers4Choice Malta Launched As Pro-Choice Lobby Grows
