INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russians spent a record 19.3 billion rubles ($211 million) on contraceptives in the first half of 2024, the Vedomosti business dailyreported
Friday, citing market research.The new data, gathered by pharmaceutical market research company DSM Group, compares to 16.7 billion rubles
spent on condoms and birth control pills during the same period last year.Major pharmacy chains in Russia, as surveyed by Vedomosti,
confirmed that their contraception sales rose by as much as 25% in the first half of 2024.Pharmacies linked the uptick in spending on
contraceptives to Russians increasingly putting off starting a family amid economic uncertainty due to the war in Ukraine and Western
sanctions.Analysts said growing sexual health awareness, including avoiding undesired pregnancies and diseases, also likely played a role in
