The pilot project “INVVO – Informed Contraception in Vorarlberg” starts on October 1st. Health Minister Johannes Rauch announced this on Monday at a press conference in Vorarlberg. Around 3,500 women receive contraceptive advice and free contraceptives for a year. There is great interest: there are already 450 registrations. “More than half of women bear the costs of contraception alone. For financial reasons, many cannot use contraception or cannot use the method they want. Access to modern and safe contraceptive methods should not be a question of income,” emphasizes Rauch. The project is being implemented by femail and aks gesundheit GmbH. The Ministry of Health is making almost one million euros available by 2026. ****
In June, the Ministry of Health presented the first Austrian contraception report. In the representative survey, half of the women stated that they had to bear the costs of contraception entirely on their own. The most common contraceptive methods among sexually active women in Austria are the pill (42%), the condom (40%) and the coil (17%). For over 95 percent of those surveyed, reliability is the deciding factor when choosing a contraceptive method.
Financial aspects play an important role in the choice of contraceptives. The most effective methods are long-term methods such as coils, hormonal sticks or implants. However, the high initial costs represent a hurdle for many women. 16 percent said they did not know enough about their preferred contraceptive. They would like more advice.
“In many cases, contraception is still purely a woman’s issue. Our goal is to provide free, long-term contraception and contraceptive advice for girls and women throughout Austria. For me, this is part of modern healthcare. The pilot project helps us to collect important data and experience and to establish the necessary structures,” emphasizes Health and Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch.
INVVO research project starts
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is therefore providing 950,000 euros for the research and pilot project. Vorarlberg was chosen as the model region. The budget can be used to provide approximately one in 20 women of reproductive age between 14 and 45 with contraceptives and contraceptive advice.
From October 1st, the participants will receive the offer of psychosocial contraceptive advice and, after being accepted into the project and prescribed by their gynecologist, the individually tailored contraceptive. Pre-registration is still possible directly at the femail women’s health department or online: INVVO – Informs contraception in Vorarlberg (femail.at) Discussions about concrete collaboration are currently underway with the Vorarlberg gynecologists.
For short-term contraceptives such as the pill, condoms, hormone rings or 3-month injections, the costs are covered for one year. For long-term methods such as IUDs or hormone implants, the costs for the product and the insertion are covered in full. Participation in contraceptive counseling is voluntary.
Address target groups specifically
There is great interest in the project. In the first 24 hours after the announcement, over 200 interested parties had already registered. There are currently 450 women registered. Up to 3,500 young girls and women can take part in the project. It is particularly important to reach target groups that often have difficulty accessing such pilot initiatives – such as women at risk of or affected by poverty, women with poor knowledge of German, and teenagers and young women. femail specifically addresses these target groups directly and through network partners.
In a first step, the participants are invited to a personal appointment via femail. There you will find all the information about the accompanying study by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH. The INVVO passport is filled out together and all questions about contraception, sexuality and relationships are answered by experts.
The appropriate contraceptive is then prescribed by the attending gynecologist (e.g. at the next check-up appointment) and the duration of the prescription is determined. With confirmation from the specialist, short-term contraceptive methods such as pills, patches or rings can be obtained free of charge from the pharmacy. To use long-term methods such as spirals, implants or chains, a further appointment will be made in the gynecological practice. The project fits perfectly into normal medical practice. femail will be an important contact point for the participants throughout the entire duration of the project and, in particular, will establish psychosocial contraceptive advice as a quality-tested offer.
“By implementing the INVVO project, we have taken on great responsibility. We are always the first point of contact for interested young girls and women about the project. Women are already coming to us on the recommendation of their gynecologist. We’re particularly pleased about that!” emphasizes Lea Putz-Erath, femail managing director.
Research project brings important data
The project is scientifically supported by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH. She examines how women’s contraceptive behavior changes when they receive free contraceptive advice and contraceptives. The participants provide information and data several times during the course of the project. These are scientifically evaluated in compliance with strict data protection standards.
In addition, quantitative and qualitative surveys are carried out in order to be able to answer important detailed questions and to achieve comparability with the 2024 contraception report. In this way, the project not only gains information about the individual perspective, but also about structural factors for promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women in Austria
Integration into existing structures
The project will provide free contraceptive advice and free contraception within the existing structures in Vorarlberg. Discussions about the specific structure of the collaboration with the specialists are currently ongoing; after all, important contraceptives are only available after medical prescription. aks gesundheit GmbH is responsible for the financial aspects of the project. Gynecological services, such as the insertion of an IUD and contraceptives dispensed by pharmacies, are billed to the aks on a monthly basis.
“aks gesundheit GmbH is happy to help when expertise and know-how in the social medical field is required. Over the past 60 years, we have been able to accompany and implement many innovative ideas and initiatives. We are pleased to be able to work on and support the INNVO pilot project and see it as a milestone in women’s health care,” concluded Georg Posch, Managing Director of aks Gesundheit GmbH.