LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The new sexual health strategy proposed by the Maltese health authorities is recommending that emergency contraception should be added to the national formulary and condoms distributed for free.
The strategy has now been opened to public consultation for feedback before it is finalised. Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela launched the two-month consultation for the National Sexual Health Strategy 2025-2030, and he described it as being “grounded in robust research”. The strategy aims to be inclusive and equitable to all populations including migrants, people with disabilities and LGBTIQ+ individuals, he said. To prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the strategy suggests providing free condoms to anyone aged over 16. Adding the emergency contraception pill to the national formulary will help make it more accessible, it adds. The emergency contraception pill, also known as the morning-after pill, was not available in Malta until 2016 when it was made legal and started being sold over the counter at pharmacies. The LP strategy proposes free preventive treatment against HIV for those who are at risk of contracting the virus. This is the first time that Maltàs sexual health strategy has been updated in 14 years. To this day, Maltàs sexual health public policies are based on a strategy that was published in 2010 and was already considered outdated by GU Clinic doctors at the time of publication. lol
Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said the strategy direction was aligned with a World Health Organisation action plan and other EU policies and strategies.
(ITALPRESS).
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Source: medNews