San Juan

Puerto Rico / San Juan

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.

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 Puerto Rico, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required.

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. One brand you may find is Next Choice.
• 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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find menstrual cups sold in many stores in the Puerto Rico. For example, you can find Lunette sold at El Almacén Mercado Libre in San Juan. For more Lunette vendors in Puerto Rico, check out this store locator.

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

• Ministry of Health
• PROFAMILIAS Puerto Rico: "PRO-FAMILIA’s primary aim is to provide medical and educational family planning services, as well as to promote sex education in public schools. It operates 11 service points, including 2 permanent clinics that specifically aim to provide services to poor people. They are supported by 8 community-based services (CBSs). It also has agreements with municipal authorities to provide contraceptive advice, information, counselling and education to clients through private doctors, and trains medical professionals in specialist family planning skills."
• Paz Para La Mujer: "Coordinadora Paz para la Mujer, Inc. (CPM) is a Coalition whose membership is made up of thirty-five (35) organizations and fourteen (14) individual members. It is made up of emergency shelters, service organizations, universities, feminists and human rights activists that deal with the problem of violence against women, especially intimate partner violence and sexual assault. CPM provides community education, technical assistance and support through referrals for survivors of gender-based violence, victim assistance programs and other related organizations that work with survivors and their children."
• National Conference of Puerto Rican Women: "The National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. (NACOPRW) was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1972, as a non-profit, non-partisan organization to promote the full participation of Puerto Rican and other Hispanic women in their economic, social and political life in the United States and Puerto Rico." Email: v_colom@yahoo.com
• Info for LGBT Travelers in Puerto Rico (Lonely Planet)
• Equaldex - Puerto Rico: Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Puerto Rico.
• Centro Comunitario LGBTT de Puerto Rico (LGBTT Community Center of Puerto Rico): Phone: (787) 294-9850. Email: centrolgbttpr@gmail.com.