Hungary has a general score of 44.9% in the Contraception Atlas, which places it in the red category. Among the low-ranking groups, it only scores better than Poland, Russia, Bosnia Herzigovina and Belarus. No contraceptive supplies are reimbursed by the national health insurance and they are all subject to doctor’s prescription. However, emergency contraception is de-facto easily accessible over-the-counter (albeit illegally). The only waivers from prescriptions concern condoms and one-off uterine suppositories. There appears to be no publicly funded or managed website on contraception information. Nevertheless, the country receives a decent score on logistical information, as well as on ease of finding the relevant sources online. The country has an estimated contraceptive prevalence rate of 49% and an adolescent birth rate per 1000 adolescents (aged 15-19) of 23.
Recommendations:
- The government of Hungary needs to ensure that all women of reproductive age enjoy reimbursements for contraception supplies or at least create schemes for reimbursements for specific population groups. The use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), for instance, remains the most cost-effective option in the long term.
- A cost-effective and efficient way to improve the Hungarian rating is to encourage government-supported information and improving online sources.
- Counselling and access to information must always go hand in hand with the destigmatisation of contraception. Belarus government must encourage better SRHR education, as well as improved training for health care providers (HCPs) on the topic.
Breakdown by Criteria
Policies related to supplies and counselling
- Reimbursement
❌Reimbursement within the national health system
❌Special reimbursement for adolescents (until 19)
❌Special Reimbursement for vulnerable groups (unemployed/low income)
- Counselling
✔️Available, accessible, and affordable consultation
✔️No need for third-party consent
✔️Legal status (marital, citizenship) is not a barrier
- Prescription requirements
✔️Availability of emergency contraception without prescription
❌Availability of self-administered hormonal contraception without prescription
Availability of online information
- Type of online information
Website provided by non-goverment supported website
✔️Number of contraceptives - excellent
❌Info on costs of contraceptives
✔️Info on where to get contraceptives
- User friendliness
❌Regional or minority language included
✔️Web design
✔️Discoverability of the website
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