Montevideo

Uruguay / Montevideo

OVERVIEW

Contraception (Birth Control)

General Note: There are many types of contraceptives, also known as "birth control," including IUDs, oral contraceptives, patches, shots, and condoms, etc. If you would like to view a full list, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Uruguay, you can purchase birth control pills over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is needed.

According to a 2015 report, it's estimated that 77% of Uruguayan women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) use some form of birth control, and 7.6% have unmet family planning needs. The most common birth control methods were found to be condoms (30.3%), pills (23.5%), IUDs (12.1%) and female sterilization (5.3%). There were very low rates for injectables (0.2%) and practically no users of implants (0%).

What to Get & Where to Get It

• For a comprehensive list of contraceptive options available in Uruguay, click here.
• In Uruguay, you can purchase birth control pills over-the-counter without a prescription. Some of the brands you can expect to see are April, Cilest, Combignor, Diane-35, Diva, Divina 21, Divina 28, Exluton, Femexin, Femiane, Genoderm, Gynera, Harmonet, Linosun, Lo-Femenal, Marvelon, Mercilon, Microgynon, Minesse, Minifem, Minulet, Mirelle, Neolette, Nordette, Qlaira, Secret 28, Yaz, Yasmin and many more.
• If you want an IUD, you can find Mirena in Uruguay.
• If you want a contraceptive shot/injectable, you can find Cyclofem, Cyclofemina, Depo-Provera SAS 150mg/ml and Mesigyna in Uruguay.
• If you want a contraceptive patch, you can find Evra in Uruguay.

Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)

Important Notes: Emergency contraception may prevent pregnancy for three days (72 hours) and sometimes five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Take EC as soon as possible after unprotected sex. If you don't have access to dedicated EC, oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC, but remember the following: 1) Only some contraceptives work as EC 2) Different contraceptives require different dosages and time schedules to work as EC 3) You must only use the first 21 pills in 28-day packs and 4) They may be less effective than dedicated EC. For general information on emergency contraceptives, click here and here.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Note: The longest-lasting EC is currently ellaOne. It lasts up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Check to see if your country carries ellaOne. If your country doesn't carry ellaOne, copper IUDs may also prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after unprotected sex. If none of these options are available, and it's been over 3 days since you had unprotected sex, you can still take EC, which may work up to 5 days. Note that EC pills are not 100% effective and should be taken as soon as possible.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs/STDs)

Important Notes - Learn about PEP and PrEP: If you think that you've been recently exposed to HIV (i.e. within 72 hours), seek out PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a month-long treatment to prevent HIV infection after exposure, and it may be available in your city. Take PEP as soon as possible. For more information, click here. If you are at risk of HIV exposure, seek out PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a daily oral pill that can prevent HIV infection before exposure. To learn more about PrEP, click here.

Menstruation

Note: In addition to pads and tampons, you can also use menstrual cups and menstrual underwear for your period. To learn more about menstrual cups, click here. To learn more about menstrual underwear, click here.

Abortion

Important Note: There are two main types of abortions: medical (also known as the "abortion pill") and surgical (also known as "in-clinic"). For medical abortions, you take a pill to induce abortion. For surgical abortions, a procedure is performed to induce abortion. For general information about medical and surgical abortions, click here.