Berlin

Germany / Eastern Germany / Berlin

OVERVIEW

Contraception

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Germany, you need a prescription to obtain hormonal contraceptives ("verhütungsmittel" in German), such as the pill, IUDs, etc. So you will need to arrange an appointment with a gynecologist ("frauenarzt" in German) to obtain the prescription. If you a prescription from another country, there is a good chance that the pharmacy will accept the prescription and issue you the medication.

The majority of women (of reproductive age) in Germany are using some form of contraception. In the 1990s, it was calculated that 74.7% of German women were using contraception with 58.60% of these women on the pill.

Condoms are available in nearly all drug stores or pharmacies.

What to Get & Where to Get It

If you already have a prescription, you can visit a pharmacy ("apotheke"), which is typically open from 9:00-18:00, Monday to Friday, and 9:00-12:00 on Saturdays. If you do not yet have a prescription, you'll need to arrange an appointment with a doctor.

Costs

For women under 18 years, birth control pills are free or can be purchased with a 5 euro copay (as of 2015). For women over 18, they will need to pay the full price, which will vary based on the brand. But a one month supply of Desofemine cost 15 euro in 2015.

Emergency Contraception

Laws & Social Stigmas

To access emergency contraception, you will need a prescription.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Once you have a prescription, you can find emergency contraception in public sector clinics, private clinics, pharmacies and emergency rooms. Some Catholic hospitals may refuse to prescribe or issue EC, but this is not very common. For dedicated EC products, there's ellaOne, an anti-progestin, and you should take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex. There's also PiDaNa, a progestin, and you also should take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex. As for contraceptives used as EC, there are a variety of contraceptives in Germany, and instructions for how many to take will vary according to the pills. For more details, visit the Princeton EC website, where you can find all possible combinations accessible in Germany.

Further Reading:

• Interesting Article On Getting EC in Berlin (IndieBerlin, May 2015)

Costs

LNG: € 17, as of 2013; UPA: € 35, as of 2013.

Medication & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

The HPV vaccine was introduced to Germany in 2007. There's no PreP availability in Germany, as of 2015.

Menstruation

What to Get & Where to Get It

You can easily find pads and OB tampons. Tampons with applicators can be found in select shops but it's much more difficult. For DivaCup, visit the Berlin location of Globetrotter (Schloßstraße 78-82, 12165 Berlin, Phone: 030/85 08 92 0, Website: www.globetrotter.de/). You can also buy online on German websites like Biogarten (http://www.biogarten.de/), MEDintim (https://www.medintim.de/), Washbaer (https://www.waschbaer.de/shop/), etc. The Mooncup is sold in Berlin the following locations: Lifelines (Bundesallee 117, 12161 Berlin, e-mail@Lifelines-berlin.de, Telephone: +49 30 85401548), Lebensfluss (Boxhagener Straße 13,10245 Berlin Phone: 030-60982382, www.lebensfluss.de) and Vielfalter (Brunnenstraße 147, 10115 Berlin Phone: 1787 610663).

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

In German, "gynecologist" is "frauenarzt."

STD Tests

Laws & Social Stigmas

Important Note: If you are interested in long-term residency or citizenship in Germany, some regions (for example, Bavaria) require an HIV test before your approval. Furthermore, if an insurance claim is filed in Europe, the test results aren't necessarily protected/confidential. So it is advised to seek anonymous testing, if you would like to keep this information truly private.

There are many STD testing facilities in Berlin, though many of them are exclusively or almost exclusively for MSM (men who have sex with men). For this reason, it is best to confirm that a facility can test you in advance. We have provided a list below of facilities that test women (either all the time or on specific days).

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Center for Sexual Health and Family Planning - Locations in Mitte & Friedrichshain/Kreuzberg. This is part of the public health service. Offers HIV testing and counseling for 10 euro; may potentially have tests for other STDs too (not confirmed).
  • Mitte Details: Has Thai and Bulgarian translators on staff. Hours: Monday: 12:00 to 15:00, Tuesday: 15:00 to 18:00, Thursday: 15:00 to 18:00, Friday: 9:00 to 12:00. Contact Information: Gesundheitsamt – Beratungsstelle für sexuelle Gesundheit - Potsdamer Str. 65, 10785 Berlin, Tel.: (030) 263966930. Email: sti-hiv-bera@ba-mitte.berlin.de. More information: https://www.berlin.de/ba-mitte/politik-und-verwaltung/aemter/gesundheitsamt/zentren/artikel.248356.en.php
  • Friedrichshain/Kreuzberg Details - Open Mon-Tues, Thurs-Fri. Hours: Monday: 13:00 to 16:00, Tuesday: 09:00 to 12:00, Thursday: 13:30 to 17:30, Friday: 09:00 to 12:00. The appointment system is carried out exclusively by phone: Tel .: (030) 90298-8363 . Unfortunately appointments via email are not possible. Address" Urbanstr. 24, 10967 Berlin, Tel . (030) 90298-8363, Fax : (030) 90298-8350. Website: http://www.berlin.de/ba-friedrichshain-kreuzberg/politik-und-verwaltung/aemter/gesundheitsamt/fachbereiche/artikel.162503.php/

• Praxiscityost - Allows drop-ins and appointments; tests for HIV, Hepatitis, fungal and viral infections, and many STDs; Efficient and professional but expensive; some have said the clinic asked for 150 euro for a mere consultation. So contact in advance to get a better sense of prices. Contact: Gubener Straße 37 / 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain / Telefon 030.29 36 39 50 / info@praxiscityost.de. Website: http://www.praxiscityost.de/

• Profamilia Counseling Center, Berlin - Has walk-in hours and appointments, works with low-income people. Address: Beratungsstelle Berlin Road, Kalckreuthstr. 4 , 10777, Berlin, Phone: 030 39849898. Directions: "The counseling center is located in the North Schöneberg in Kalckreuthstraße 4, a small road connecting the Kleist and Motzstraße, exactly between the two underground stations Wittenbergplatz and Nollendorfplatz. By bus you can reach us with the lines 119, 146, 185, 187 to the stop Urania." Website: http://www.profamilia.de/angebote-vor-ort/berlin/beratungszentrum.html

• Berliner Aids-Hilfe e.V. - Offers anonymous HIV and syphilis tests. On Tuesdays, they only test for men who have sex with men (MSM), but on Wednesdays, women can be tested if they make an appointment in advance. Hours: Wednesday 14:30 to 18:30. For women and men, only by telephone arrangement. Reservations from Wednesday of the previous week, anonymously at 030/88 56 40-0 (on opening times Mon-Fri from 12:00 ).

• Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health - Does anonymous HIV tests for 20 euro. Postal address: August Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Campus - or Internal address:, Südring 2 - 3 t: +49 30 450 665 728, f: +49 30 450 565 930, https://tropeninstitut.charite.de/ambulanz/hiv_beratung/

• Blood Donation - For a free STD test (usually just HIV, Hepatitis and other blood-based diseases), you can donate blood. Call 0800 11 949 11 for more info.

• MORE INFORMATION: Check out the Berlin Project, which tries to find low-cost STD testing clinics in Berlin for every day of the week. Please note that the Berlin Project primarily serves the gay male community and drug users, mostly focusing on HIV, hepatitis and syphilis testing. But there may be some useful resources for anyone, even if they don't fit into the target demographic.

Costs

All Germans and legal residents are required to have health insurance, so they may be covered through their insurance. For those who are uninsured, STD tests can vary from 200 euro (for consultation to testing and lab results) to 15 euro (for budget options).