Women's sexual and reproductive health coming of age

Reproductive health monitoring cannot be considered a disease, even if it is part of women's health, but is a method that helps women and couples to plan their desire to have children and therefore does not require a prior diagnosis. Under the premise that contraception is not a health problem and does not require a diagnosis, the question is whether or not a direct medical intervention should still be required to allow it. It may possibly depend on the method to be used, if there are side effects or contraindications that require such an intervention. In this sense, the extremes could be a condom, which does not require any medical intervention, and an intrauterine device (IUD), which does. However, between these two extremes there are many cases in which it is worth thinking about to what extent they belong, even if they are medicines. For instance, progestogen-only pill (POP) has an adequate safety profile and does not require a medical exam before use. This is why, with a view to favouring women's empowerment and easier access to family planning measures, the scientific societies SEFAC (community pharmacists), SEMERGEN and SEMG (primary care physicians) advocate, based on consensus and coordination among their professionals, for dispensing these drugs without medical prescription, since over-the-counter access to these contraceptives could reduce unwanted pregnancies by increasing access to these medicines.