Conakry

Guinea / Conakry

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 Guinea, you can purchase condoms and birth control pills at pharmacies without a prescription. However, for other forms of birth control, such as implants, injectables, and IUDs, you may need to directly visit a hospital or clinic to obtain them.

In 2016, it was estimated that about 11% of women in Guinea (who were married/in unions and between the ages of 15-49) were using any form of contraception, including traditional methods. It should be understood that modern contraceptive methods are not very popular, with only a small percentage of women using modern methods, on average. The most common forms of contraception were condoms (about 2.5% of women), injectables (about 2% of women), pills (about 2% of women), and female sterilization (about 1% of women). Other modern methods, such as implants IUDs, were used by less than 1% of women each. Some women used traditional methods, such as rhythm method (about 1% of women) and withdrawal (less than 1% of women)..

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 to prevent pregnancy. 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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Guinea, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required. It was estimated that about 16% of Guinean women (of reproductive age) had knowledge of emergency contraception in 2012, and it was estimated that less than 1% had ever used emergency contraception, as of 2005.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) at pharmacies, and they are sold over-the-counter. Some brands you may find are NorLevo 1.5mg (available over-the-counter at pharmacies), Optinor (available at family planning clinics), Revoke 1.5 (available over-the-counter at pharmacies), Revoke 72 (available over-the-counter at pharmacies), and ellaOne (available over-the-counter at pharmacies).
• 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.

Costs

• In 2013, you could expect to pay around GNF 5000 - GNF 65000 for the emergency contraceptive pill at pharmacies in Guinea.

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Guinea, there are no known travel or residency restrictions for people with HIV/AIDS. This means that you can enter the country, regardless of your HIV status, and you should not be deported if you test positive for HIV while you are in the country.

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.

Pregnancy

Laws & Social Stigmas

The maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 679 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to 2015 data. This MMR is ranked 11th in the world, and is roughly comparable to Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

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.

List of Additional Resources

• UNFPA - Guinea
• Guinea - Family Planning 2020
• National Institute of Public Health Guinea (Guinea NPHI)
• Equaldex - Guinea: Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Guinea. It is important to understand that homosexuality is illegal in Guinea.