Tosin Oyediran
The World Health Organisation has expanded its recommended contraceptive options and said new reversible male contraceptive methods could reach the market within the next five to 10 years.
The WHO disclosed this in a news release published on September 23, 2026, announcing its new guidelines on expanding contraceptive options.
PUNCH Online reports that World Contraception Day is observed every year on September 26.
The organisation said the guidelines were designed to help countries broaden access to contraceptive methods supported by the best available evidence.
According to the WHO, an estimated 164 million women who want to delay or avoid pregnancy are not using contraception, highlighting the need for improved access to contraceptive methods.
Under the new guidelines, the WHO recommends that combined oral contraceptive pills can be taken for extended periods of up to six months or continuously for up to one year, as alternatives to cyclical use.
It also supports the use of contraceptive implants for up to five years, which it said could reduce the need for replacement procedures, clinic visits and associated costs.
The WHO recommends mifepristone as an additional emergency contraception option, to be taken as soon as possible and within five days of unprotected sex.
It said evidence showed that mifepristone at doses of 10–50mg was likely to be as safe and effective as other emergency contraceptive methods.
“Choice is a gender equality issue,” said Pascale Allotey, Director of the WHO Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing.
“Contraception isn’t one-size-fits-all. Men and women both need a range of options that reflect what science and innovation can now offer, weighed against convenience, invasiveness, behaviour, reliability and accessibility.
“Real choice means the confidence and control to choose a method, change it, or stop it.”
The WHO said it was also working to expand contraceptive choices for men, noting that men currently have relatively few methods under their control, principally condoms, withdrawal and vasectomy.
It said around 30 per cent of couples rely on a male method despite the limited options available.
According to the organisation, research had challenged the longstanding assumption that men would not use new contraceptives.
It said more than 75 per cent of couples surveyed indicated that they would be willing to use a new male contraceptive, while more than 85 per cent of women surveyed said they would trust their male partners to take responsibility for contraception.
To support the development of new products, the WHO said it had developed its first Target Product Profile for male contraceptive methods.
The profile sets out characteristics future methods should aim to meet, including safety, effectiveness, acceptability and affordability.
The WHO said several hormonal and non-hormonal male contraceptive methods were being researched, with several promising candidates in advanced clinical trials.
It added that new reversible male contraceptives could be available in the market within the next five to 10 years.
The WHO also called for more research into ormeloxifene before its inclusion in family planning programmes, citing limited evidence on its safety.
It further recommended against adding quinestrol-containing contraceptive pills to national contraceptive programmes due to limited evidence and reports of serious adverse events.
The organisation said it aimed to support countries in updating their policies and family planning plans based on the best available scientific evidence.
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