A growing trend is emerging among young women in Germany: more are opting out of the birth control pill. According to a recent analysis published by the health insurer AOK in Berlin, only 22% of women and girls under 22 years of age received a prescription for the pill in 2024, representing roughly one in five young women. This marks a sharp decline from 2015, when 43% of women in the same age group were prescribed the pill for contraception.
Alongside this shift, the trend toward prescribing lower-risk hormonal contraceptives has plateaued. In 2024, 48% of prescriptions were for pills considered lower-risk for complications such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, a one percent decrease from the previous year. Conversely, the proportion of higher-risk prescriptions rose by one percentage point to 48%. Nevertheless, the share of high-risk pills remains far below the level seen a decade ago, when 63% of prescriptions were for higher-risk options. Lower-risk options include combined pills containing the hormone levonorgestrel.
The data from statutory health insurance for women under 22 enables precise tracking of these trends, as the cost of prescription contraceptives is fully covered. Beyond the pill, other prescription-based contraceptives include the hormonal IUD, vaginal ring, and contraceptive patch, all contributing to the broadening choice of safer methods.
Eike Eymers, an expert from AOK, cites improved awareness and education regarding the risks and side effects of hormonal contraception as a key reason for the sustained decline in pill prescriptions. “Young women are researching more proactively and critically,” Eymers explains. “This leads to a more thoughtful approach to hormone intake and informed decisions favoring lower-risk contraceptives.”
Furthermore, contraception is no longer considered solely a woman’s responsibility. Condoms are widely used as the second most popular method among young people, reflecting a more shared approach to birth control. The trend is also influenced by changing sexual behavior, as young people today tend to have their first sexual experiences later than previous generations did ten or twenty years ago.
This shift in contraceptive choices highlights an evolving mindset among young women in Germany, balancing awareness of health risks with the desire for effective and safer methods of preventing pregnancy.
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