Sales of the pill grow steadily in SA

In the 50 years since the pill took women out of the kitchen and set them free, sales of the contraceptive have been growing steadily.

In SA, sales grew 15.4% to R200-million in the year to March, according to data from health-care information company IMS Health.

IMS Health said 3.1million monthly packs were sold in the year to March, up from 2.2million in 2006.

The market has averaged double-digit growth over the past five years, indicating growing consumer confidence in the product. It is estimated that about 328000 women use the pill in SA in the private healthcare system.

Bayer Schering Pharma is the biggest seller of oral contraceptives in the country, with its pill called Yasmin. Yasmin sold nearly 1.2million packs over the past year.