Efforts are being made to get emergency contraceptive pills to Ukrainian hospitals as quickly as possible, after increased reports of rape following the Russian invasion of the country.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation has sent 2,880 packages of the drug, called the morning-after pill, to Ukraine, while a network of volunteers across Europe is collecting donations of the drug from abroad and delivering it to hospitals.
Julie Taft, of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said the time frame for treating victims of sexual violence is very basic, as if a woman is examined within five days of an accident, medication should be given to her automatically.
Taft added that the organization is also sending medical abortion pills, which can be used within 24 weeks of pregnancy.
While emergency contraceptive pills were widely available in Ukraine, the war has devastated local supply chains, displacing patients and health care providers and increasing the rate of sexual assaults, the Guardian said.
On the other hand, Joel Mitchell of a humanitarian aid organization that provides food and medical equipment to Ukraine said that there is a demand for emergency contraceptive pills, but very rare from hospitals in the west of the country, and most of it comes from hospitals in the east in Kharkiv, Mariupol and those areas.
She added: Once we contact the hospitals in those areas, we receive a huge demand for medicine.