International Consortium for Emergency Contraception

In 1996, the year ICEC was founded, only a handful of countries had a "dedicated" Emergency Contraception (EC) product on the market.

Now women in over 140 countries can buy emergency contraception - sometimes known as the morning after pill - and in 44 countries, EC is readily available over the counter.

ICEC and its member organizations have played a key role in introducing EC in a wide range of settings. Still, women's access to EC is far from assured, and our mission remains critical: to expand access to EC worldwide, with a focus on developing countries.

Pharmas Launch Innovative EC Ads

26 June 2009

Two new campaigns, in Canada and the UK, are getting plenty of attention. Click through to check out the videos!

In the US, Court Faults Age Restrictions on EC Access

24 March 2009

A US judge found that “(t)he FDA repeatedly and unreasonably delayed issuing a decision on Plan B for suspect reasons.” The FDA was ordered to allow 17-year-old women non-prescription access to EC within 30 days and to reconsider whether to allow EC to be sold without age restriction.

EC Access in the US Improving Since OTC Approval

05 March 2009

EC access has improved since FDA approval of behind-the-counter status for those 18 and older, according to results of a recently published survey carried out in Boston, Atlanta and Philadelphia. In 2005, 22% of pharmacies surveyed were unable to provide EC within 24 hours; by 2007, that number had dropped to 8%.