The Contraceptive Scandal in Chile: Legal Implications and State Responsibility

In 2020, over 170 women in Chile became unintentionally pregnant after taking defective batches of the oral contraceptive Anulette CD—a pill distributed through the public health system by the Chilean government. Despite early reports and a limited recall by health authorities, many affected users were not properly informed. The scandal has raised concerns about reproductive rights, pharmaceutical oversight, government accountability, and systemic gender inequality in Chile. In this context, our guest Professor Viviana Ponce de León Solís will explore the legal dimensions of this ongoing crisis.

Viviana Ponce de León Solís is a Lawyer and PhD in Law. She teaches regulatory and administrative law at the Universidad Diego Portales (Santiago, Chile). Her research focuses on the intersection between international human rights law and constitutional law, on the one hand, and public policy, on the other.