The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expanded its recommended contraceptive options and said new reversible contraceptive methods for men could become available within the next five to 10 years.
The organisation announced the changes in new guidelines published on 23 September 2026, ahead of World Contraception Day, observed annually on 26 September.
The guidelines are intended to help countries widen access to contraceptive methods based on the latest available evidence.
The WHO estimates that about 164 million women who want to prevent or delay pregnancy are not currently using contraception, underscoring the need to improve access to a wider range of methods.
Under the updated recommendations, combined oral contraceptive pills may be taken for extended periods of up to six months or continuously for up to one year, rather than following a cyclical schedule.
The WHO also supports the use of contraceptive implants for up to five years, saying longer use could reduce the need for replacement procedures, clinic visits and associated costs.
Mifepristone has also been included as an additional emergency contraception option. The WHO recommends that it should be taken as soon as possible and within five days of unprotected sex.
According to the organisation, available evidence suggests that mifepristone at doses ranging from 10mg to 50mg is 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.
She said contraceptive needs varied between individuals and that both men and women required access to a range of options based on factors including effectiveness, convenience, accessibility and personal preferences.
“Real choice means the confidence and control to choose a method, change it, or stop it,” Allotey said.
Male contraceptive options
The WHO said it was also working to broaden contraceptive choices available to men, who currently have relatively few methods under their direct control, mainly condoms, withdrawal and vasectomy.
The organisation said about 30 per cent of couples rely on a male contraceptive method despite the limited number of options available.
It said research had challenged the long-standing assumption that men would be unwilling to use new contraceptive methods.
According to the WHO, more than 75 per cent of couples surveyed said 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 has produced its first Target Product Profile for male contraceptive methods.
The profile outlines the characteristics future methods should aim to achieve, including safety, effectiveness, acceptability and affordability.
The organisation said several hormonal and non-hormonal male contraceptives were currently being researched, with a number of promising candidates having reached advanced stages of clinical trials.
However, the WHO recommended against including quinestrol-containing contraceptive pills in national contraceptive programmes, citing limited evidence and reports of serious adverse events.
The organisation said the new guidance was intended to help countries update their contraceptive policies and family planning programmes in line with the best available scientific evidence.
