New research shows contraceptives the top drug shortage reported by patients
Research by the Stop Stockouts Project shows contraceptives were the top drug shortage reported by patients who visited a clinic between April and June.
The Stop Stockouts Project is a consortium of five civil society organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, Rural Doctors Association of South Africa, Rural Health Advocacy Project, Section27, and the Treatment Action Campaign.
It aims to monitor and report on medicine and vaccine shortages and stockouts at primary healthcare facilities.
Doctors Without Borders’ Lucy O'Connell says the shortage impacts the most vulnerable in society.
"Women who take contraception have made a choice not to get pregnant. When supplies are not there, we take away their agency. It's often risky to change from a long-acting method to a daily method and it can be costly and time consuming to women and girls to ensure future continuous access.”
The Treatment Action Campaign's Sihle Shabalala says having a variety of contraceptives makes life easier and improves self-confidence.
"Given an option of having a variety of contraceptives it makes life easier and it improves our self-confidence as women, but experiencing stock out it affects a lot of women as others have decided to stop taking contraceptives altogether, while others have decided to go with an alternative which were not good for them as side effects play a huge role in their lives hence having contraceptives that are good for our bodies."
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