Free Emergency Contraception Proposal Features In Malta’s Updated Sexual Health Strategy
Free emergency contraception and condoms were featured in the updated Sexual Health Strategy that was launched for public consultation earlier today.
The document includes the proposal of the addition of the emergency contraceptive pill to Malta’s National Formulary.
The long-awaited news was announced earlier this morning by Health Minister Jo-Etienne Abela during a press conference in Valletta.
The current sexual health policy is over 14 years old and has garnered widespread criticism for being outdated and not reflective of today’s society.
Abela opened the event by assuring his commitment to promoting sexual health in a positive and progressive manner with education, prevention and services aligned with today’s realities as the focal points.
Abela said that the strategy is based on research conducted in 2022 and 2023 which looked into the behaviour, knowledge and needs of Malta’s growing population. It will further extend the provision of free menstrual products in schools following the success of the pilot project and free condoms.
The strategy further includes plans related to HIV including the addition of key medications to the government’s formulary. The access to both Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) will be extended to a wider range of individuals and high-risk populations. PEP acts as a treatment to the infection while PrEP acts as prevention.
Other proposals featured in the strategy and noted during the press conference include comprehensive sexual health education for children, youth, adolescents, and their parents or guardians, alongside free access to barrier contraceptives for everyone aged 16 and over.
Care for migrants would be designed to be both linguistically and culturally competent, while victims of sexual violence would be supported through sensitive interviewing practices. Additionally, harm reduction strategies would include opioid substitution treatment and access to clean injection supplies.
The sexual health policy has been a sore point for the health ministry for quite a while, with several delays hindering its drafting and publication.
The policy was initially intended to be announced back in 2020 but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then earmarked for March 2021 but a few months before this deadline, the government announced another delay because the research that the new policy was based on was found to be 12 years old.
What else do you want to see on the new Sexual Health Strategy?