Peru offers free morning-after pill to avoid unwanted pregnancies

LIMA, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Peruvian government will distribute an oral contraceptive for free in all the country's hospitals to avoid unwanted pregnancies, Health Minister Patricia García confirmed Tuesday.

This decision comes after a recent court ruling which orders the Health Ministry to distribute the pill to women living in Peru's poorest areas.

Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Lima, Garcia said the government would respect the decision and make the pill available for free to all within 30 days.

The ruling by the First Constitutional Court of Lima means that many poor women will have access to the emergency contraceptive, which is predicted to improve their health and their families' quality of life.

This measure will help to avoid unwanted pregnancies as well as the contagion of fetuses with the Zika virus or other infectious diseases, to which poorer families are particularly vulnerable.