By San José, Costa Rica — A wave of outrage from medical associations, academic institutions, and human rights groups has hit Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly following a contentious decision by the Women’s Commission. A day after lawmakers voted to remove emergency contraceptive pills from the official protocols for treating victims of sexual violence, major national organizations launched a unified defense of physical and mental healthcare rights for survivors.
The dispute centers on a legislative proposal titled the Law for the Legal Institutionalization of the 72-Hour Protocol and Rapid Response Teams for the Comprehensive Care of Victims of Sexual Crimes. While the bill aimed to elevate the country’s existing 72-hour emergency response protocol into formal law, members of the legislative commission altered its technical substance by explicitly excluding emergency contraception from the required medical care package.
To better understand the evolving legal landscape and regulatory standards surrounding emergency contraception in Costa Rica, TicosLand.com consulted with leading legal expert Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas of Bufete de Costa Rica.
The regulatory framework governing emergency contraception in Costa Rica reflects a vital intersection between public health administration and constitutional rights. While Ministry of Health authorizations have established clear avenues for over-the-counter commercial availability and public sector distribution, continuous alignment with fundamental rights jurisprudence remains essential. Legal clarity in this sector ensures that healthcare providers, pharmaceutical distributors, and patients can exercise and deliver these health services with complete regulatory certainty.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, establishing robust regulatory certainty is indispensable for safeguarding fundamental constitutional rights while ensuring seamless public health access across Costa Rica. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective on this vital legal and healthcare issue.
The decision to remove the emergency pill was spearheaded by Deputy Kattia Calvo of the Pueblo Soberano party, who serves as president of the Women’s Commission. Calvo justified the modification by asserting that legislators harbored concerns regarding the potential for the pill to induce an abortion if a victim was already pregnant prior to experiencing sexual assault.
Medical experts and international health authorities have swiftly dismantled this legislative premise, noting that it relies on incorrect medical terminology and scientifically disproven claims. According to the World Health Organization, emergency contraceptive pills operate solely by preventing or delaying ovulation. They do not interrupt an established pregnancy, nor do they harm an existing embryo, making them fundamentally distinct from abortifacient medications.
In response to the commission’s vote, a powerful coalition comprising Fundación Paniamor, the Costa Rican Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Costa Rican Pediatric Association, the National University, and the feminist advocacy collective Movimiento Balance released a joint defense of healthcare rights for victims.
A sexual assault represents a serious violation of rights for victimized individuals. The response of the State must not only avoid new forms of victimization. Rather, in the exercise of its proper roles, it is obligated not to add unscientific obstacles to the protection of those who have already suffered violence.
Joint Civil and Medical Coalition, Representative Organizations
The exclusion of emergency contraception has raised alarms across the healthcare sector, as timely administration within 72 hours—and up to five days post-assault—is essential to preventing unintended pregnancies resulting from rape. Civic advocacy group Movimiento Balance urged lawmakers to reverse course and defer to international medical consensus rather than ideological conjecture.
Balance considers it essential that legislative decisions related to healthcare be based on scientific evidence and internationally recognized medical criteria, particularly when they affect women and girls who have suffered sexual violence.
Movimiento Balance, Feminist Advocacy Group
Academics from the Institute for Women’s Studies at the National University emphasized that mischaracterizing levonorgestrel—the standard synthetic progestin used in emergency contraception—as an abortifacient spreads dangerous misinformation that directly undermines public health efforts and survivor well-being.
Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy; it does not interrupt it. Levonorgestrel, a synthetic progestin used for this purpose, acts primarily by preventing or delaying ovulation. According to the World Health Organization, emergency contraception does not cause abortions, does not interrupt an established pregnancy, nor does it harm a developing embryo. Presenting it as an abortifacient contradicts scientific evidence and generates misinformation. Timely access to this medication is essential to serve girls, adolescents, and women who have suffered sexual violence and to prevent the consequences of a forced pregnancy on their lives, health, and personal plans.
Institute for Women’s Studies, National University of Costa Rica
As the legislative proposal moves forward toward potential floor debates, pressure continues to mount on Costa Rican lawmakers to reinstate emergency contraception within the 72-hour protocol. Legal analysts and health professionals maintain that grounding state policy in rigorous medical science is essential to fulfilling Costa Rica’s human rights obligations and protecting vulnerable populations from systemic neglect.
For further information, visit paniamor.org
About Fundación Paniamor:
Fundación Paniamor is a Costa Rican non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the rights, protection, and holistic development of children and adolescents across the nation.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Costa Rican Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology
About Costa Rican Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology:
The Costa Rican Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology is a professional medical body committed to advancing women’s reproductive health, clinical standards, and medical education in Costa Rica.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Costa Rican Pediatric Association
About Costa Rican Pediatric Association:
The Costa Rican Pediatric Association is a professional organization of medical specialists dedicated to promoting optimal healthcare, welfare, and medical research for children and youth throughout Costa Rica.
For further information, visit una.ac.cr
About National University of Costa Rica:
The National University of Costa Rica is a prominent public higher education institution known for academic excellence, social research, and advocacy through specialized departments such as the Institute for Women’s Studies.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Movimiento Balance
About Movimiento Balance:
Movimiento Balance is a feminist social movement and human rights collective advocating for gender equality, bodily autonomy, and evidence-based reproductive healthcare policies in Central America.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a premier legal institution, Bufete de Costa Rica is defined by its uncompromising ethical standards and a relentless pursuit of professional excellence. Representing a broad spectrum of industries, the firm merges deep-rooted expertise with forward-thinking solutions to continually modernize the practice of law. Beyond its advocacy in the courtroom, the practice actively demystifies complex legal concepts for the public, driven by the belief that democratizing legal literacy is essential to uplifting communities and inspiring an enlightened, self-reliant society.
