Updates

In the budget bill for 2016, the Swedish government proposed that contraceptives should be offered free of charge to young people under the age of 21 for products included in the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. The new legislation entered into force in 2017 and is under implementation and evaluation. The aim of the reform is to reduce Sweden's rate of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. According to the Swedish government, availability of free contraceptives can be effective in reducing unwanted pregnancies, especially among groups with lower socioeconomic status.

The county councils are still free to subsidise contraceptives that are not included in the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, therefore the price varies for some contraceptive types and brands. Some county councils subsidize contraceptives for larger groups, e.g. young people under the age of 25.