Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidance expanding the range of contraceptive options available to women and girls, while separately introducing a framework to guide the development of new reversible contraceptive methods for men.
The recommendations, published on September 23, 2026, include expanded guidance on contraceptive implants, emergency contraception and the use of combined oral contraceptive pills. WHO said the measures are intended to give people greater choice and support access to contraception based on individual needs and circumstances.
The new guidance comes as millions of women worldwide continue to face unmet needs for contraception. WHO estimates that about 164 million women who want to delay or avoid pregnancy are currently not using contraception.
What WHO’s New Guidance Recommends
WHO’s new Expanding Contraceptive Options (ECO) guideline covers contraceptive methods and practices that were either not previously included in WHO guidance or differ from existing recommendations.
One of the changes concerns the etonogestrel-releasing contraceptive implant.
WHO now supports use of the implant for up to five years, potentially reducing the frequency with which users need replacement procedures and visits to health facilities.
The organisation also recommends that combined oral contraceptive pills can be used continuously for up to one year or for extended periods of up to six months, providing alternatives to conventional cyclical use.
Another recommendation concerns emergency contraception.
WHO says mifepristone can be used as an additional emergency contraceptive option when taken as soon as possible and within five days after unprotected sex. The organisation said available evidence indicates that mifepristone at doses between 10 and 50 milligrams is likely to be as safe and effective as other emergency contraceptive methods.
WHO Urges Caution on Some Methods
The new guidance does not recommend every proposed contraceptive method.
WHO said further research is needed on ormeloxifene before it can be considered for inclusion in national family planning programmes because evidence on its safety remains limited.
The organisation also recommends against adding quinestrol-containing contraceptive pills to national contraceptive programmes because of limited evidence and reports of serious adverse events.
The distinction is important because the new guideline is not simply a call for countries to adopt every available or emerging contraceptive technology.
Instead, WHO said its recommendations are based on assessments of effectiveness, safety and acceptability, with the intention of helping countries decide whether particular methods should be incorporated into national programmes and clinical guidelines.
Male Contraception Enters a New Phase
Alongside the recommendations for women and girls, WHO has also taken a step towards expanding contraceptive choices directly available to men.
On September 22, the organisation published its first Target Product Profiles for Novel Male Contraceptive Methods.
The profiles are not an approval of a new male contraceptive product. Instead, they establish minimum and preferred characteristics that future products should meet as researchers and developers work towards bringing new reversible methods to users.
The framework covers three approaches: suppressing sperm production, inhibiting sperm function, and preventing sperm from being transported or transmitted. WHO said the profiles address factors including effectiveness, safety, reversibility and acceptability.
WHO described the framework as a way to give researchers, product developers, regulators, funders and other stakeholders a clearer basis for developing and assessing future male contraceptives.
Current Choices for Men Remain Limited
At present, men have substantially fewer contraceptive options under their direct control than women.
WHO identifies condoms, withdrawal and vasectomy as the principal male-controlled methods currently available. Around 30 per cent of couples nevertheless rely on a male method of contraception.
The new WHO framework reflects efforts to change that balance by supporting the development of reversible male methods.
The organisation said several hormonal and non-hormonal approaches are being researched, with some candidates already in advanced clinical trials. WHO said new reversible male contraceptives could potentially reach the market within the next five to 10 years, although this remains dependent on successful development, clinical evaluation, regulatory review and other stages required before a product can become available.
Evidence Suggests Interest in New Male Methods
WHO’s push for additional male contraceptive options is also informed by research into how men and women view potential new methods.
The organisation said its global study, conducted between 2023 and 2025 in collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation in Colombia, Ghana, Morocco and Togo, examined knowledge, attitudes and behaviours surrounding male contraception.
According to 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.
Those findings challenge the assumption that demand for new male contraceptive methods would necessarily be low.
However, willingness to use a method does not by itself establish its safety or effectiveness. Future male contraceptives will still have to pass appropriate clinical and regulatory processes before they can be introduced for widespread use.
A Broader Approach to Family Planning
The latest WHO guidance reflects a broader approach to family planning in which contraceptive choice is not treated as a one-size-fits-all decision.
WHO said people should have access to different methods that can be considered according to factors such as convenience, invasiveness, reliability, accessibility and individual circumstances.
The organisation’s position also places greater emphasis on informed choice.
Rather than prescribing a single preferred method, the new guidance is designed to help health systems and policymakers broaden the contraceptive method mix where the evidence supports doing so.
For women and girls, this includes additional ways of using existing contraceptives as well as consideration of methods that had not previously been incorporated into WHO guidance.
For men, the focus is currently on research and development rather than immediate access to new products.
Why the Development Matters
The expansion of contraceptive options has implications for public health, family planning and reproductive autonomy.
When people have access to a broader range of safe and effective methods, they have more opportunity to select an option that fits their circumstances.
Longer-lasting implant use could also reduce the number of replacement procedures and associated healthcare visits for some users, while expanded emergency contraception options could provide an additional choice following unprotected sex.
The development of male contraceptives could have a different but related effect by increasing the number of methods that men can use directly.
WHO’s approach therefore addresses contraception from both sides of a partnership rather than placing responsibility primarily on women.
For African countries, implementation will also depend on national health policies, availability of medicines and contraceptive products, healthcare infrastructure, trained providers, financing and public understanding.
WHO’s recommendations provide evidence-based guidance, but individual countries will determine how and whether particular methods are incorporated into their national programmes and clinical guidelines.
What Happens Next
The immediate next step for countries is to consider the new WHO recommendations when reviewing their family planning policies and clinical guidance.
WHO said the new ECO guideline can support ministries of health, programme managers and policymakers in determining whether the recommended methods and practices should be incorporated into national contraceptive programmes.
For male contraception, the next stage involves continued research, product development and clinical testing.
WHO’s newly published Target Product Profiles are intended to guide those efforts by establishing characteristics that future male contraceptives should meet in areas including safety, effectiveness, reversibility, acceptability and affordability.
New male contraceptives therefore remain a future prospect rather than an immediately available addition to the global contraceptive market.
The wider development nevertheless signals a shift towards expanding contraceptive responsibility and choice for both women and men.
Weng Global – stories beyond borders
Sources
- World Health Organization (WHO) — WHO expands safe options for contraception, September 23, 2026.
- World Health Organization (WHO) — WHO guidelines on expanding contraceptive options, September 23, 2026.
- World Health Organization (WHO) — Target product profiles for development of novel male contraceptive methods, September 22, 2026.
- World Health Organization (WHO) — Global study and research on knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to male contraception.
