Iran: Difference between revisions

Yet, on the other hand, Iran is a country with a long history and dynamic society. Before the Iranian Revolution, family planning was declared a human right under the Tehran Declaration of 1967. Despite challenges to family planning, you can purchase birth control, such as pills and condoms, at pharmacies and supermarkets without a prescription in Iran. You can also purchase emergency contraception (the morning after pill) at pharmacies without a prescription. You can access HIV tests at most laboratories that do blood work or through gynecologists found at hospitals or clinics. Meanwhile, there is a rather large underground network of abortion providers and even a top Iranian health minister acknowledged the high abortion rates in 2014. It is common for Iranian newlyweds to want small families or no children at all, and the country has a high rate of educated, urbanized women who proactively make decisions about their bodies.

In Iran, you can purchase various forms of birth control at pharmacies without a prescription.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> <ref>[Conversation with Tehran Local, December 2017]</ref> You can also purchase condoms at supermarkets without a prescription. However, some women feel uncomfortable purchasing contraceptives, such as condoms or birth control pills, in their local pharmacies or supermarkets, where they may be observed by neighbors or family members. Furthermore, pharmacists are known to sometimes question locals, asking why they are purchasing contraception and if they married.<ref>[Information provided by local sources, December 2017]</ref> This type of questioning is done to both men and women, but women receive a greater amount of stigmatization and shaming, according to locals. For this reason, local women may travel to other neighborhoods to purchase contraceptives, where they can escape the judgment of neighbors.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mDfKDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=buying+birth+control+iran&source=bl&ots=EdQpYSS7Zj&sig=iWR7BqcVKhpGIiTuoezL11Fgbf0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBsq6e-ZbYAhWEiFQKHWRxDfA4ChDoAQgrMAE#v=onepage&q=buying%20birth%20control%20iran&f=false Contemporary Iran: Economy, Society, Politics]</ref>  

Generally speaking, birth control pills and withdrawal are the most common contraceptive methods in Iran. According to a 2015 report, 76.6% of Iranian women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) use some form of contraception. The most common forms of contraception are withdrawal/"the pull out method" (16.9%), birth control pills (15.6%), female sterilization (14.8%), male condoms (13.7%) and IUDs (8.4%). Overall, it is estimated that 6.5% of Iranian women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) have unmet family planning needs. This rate is lower than in many Western European countries, meaning that, despite their conservative government, many Iranian women are still accessing contraception.<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref>

The last decade has seen further shifts in family planning policy. In 2006, President Ahmadinejad declared that he wanted the population to increase, and many Iranian leaders and clerics have stated that population control measures belong in the past or were mistakes to begin with. The government has cut its its budget for subsidized condoms and family planning services, increased paid maternity and paternity leave and tried to make female or male sterilization illegal.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/08/12/iran-bans-vasectomies-wants-more-babies/?utm_term=.8724a30ccb9b Iran bans vasectomies, wants more babies]</ref> <ref>[https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21603477-irans-leaders-are-worried-about-their-countrys-declining-population-make-more Iran: Making More Babies]</ref> However, many Iranian married couples, particularly middle-class and educated couples, may not feel the desire to have large families or any children at all. This is partially due to the increase in education among women, as well young people's concerns regarding the political and financial instability of the country.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/world/middleeast/iran-tehran-offers-incentives-to-middle-class-families-to-have-more-children-as-population-declines.html Urged to Multiply, Iranian Couples Are Dubious]</ref>

* If you want '''condoms''', you can buy them in drug stores and supermarkets in Iranian cities, according to official reports<ref>[http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60596-7/fulltext Population control policies in Iran]</ref> and local sources.<ref>[https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293998-i9139-k10311367-Condoms_or_contraceptives_in_bag_on_arrival-Iran.html Iran Forum: Condoms or contraceptives in bag on arrival?]</ref> Some of the brands you can expect to see are Kapoot, Good Life and Nach.<ref>[Conversation with Tehran Local, December 2017]</ref> You can also find special condom brands, like Fiesta, which are manufactured locally in Iran, come in nine different flavors/types and were launched by DKT Iran (an NGO).<ref>[https://www.dktinternational.org/country-programs/iran/ DKT International: Iran]</ref> In the past, Iran even launched condom vending machines in Tehran, which were meant to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, but they were later considered to be promoting "immoral acts" and were removed.<ref>[https://iranwire.com/en/features/1278 Iranians in the Dark as AIDS Cases Rise]</ref>

* If you want '''birth control pills''', you can easily find them in pharmacies. It's most common to find pills from Iranian, German and Dutch pharmaceutical companies, such as Aboreihan or Abidi (produced by Iranian companies), Lynestrenol (produced by Organon, a Dutch company) or Yasmin and Yaz (produced by Bayer, a German company).<ref>[Information provided by local sources]</ref>

* For a pack of birth control pills, you can expect to pay around 260,000 IRR-350,000 IRR.<ref>[Information provided by local sources, December 2017]</ref> While some articles may claim that the Iranian government subsidizes birth control pills, locals have confirmed that this not the case, as of December 2017.

In Iran, emergency contraception (morning after pill) is available without a prescription.<ref>[http://www.cecinfo.org/country-by-country-information/status-availability-database/countries/iran/ EC Status and Availability: Iran]</ref>

* In Iran, emergency contraception pills (the morning after pill) is available without a prescription at pharmacies.<ref>[http://www.cecinfo.org/country-by-country-information/status-availability-database/countries/iran/ EC Status and Availability: Iran]</ref> Some people may feel judged by the pharmacists or uncomfortable when purchasing emergency contraception. For this reason, while emergency contraception is technically available, it may not be sought out by all women, or some women may choose to purchase emergency contraception outside of their neighborhoods where they can find more anonymity and privacy.

Generally speaking, Iran is rather conservative when it comes to issues of STIs. First, there are laws related to foreigners and HIV status. If you are tourist or short-term visitor to Iran, you do not need to take an HIV test. However, if you plan to obtain a work or residence permit, or if you plan to stay in Iran for over three months, you will need to take an HIV test. If you are found to be HIV positive, your visa or permit will probably be denied.<ref>[http://www.hivtravel.org/Default.aspx?PageId=143&CountryId=89 IRAN - REGULATIONS ON ENTRY, STAY AND RESIDENCE FOR PLHIV]</ref> There are an estimated 73,000 people in Iran living with HIV, and 0.1% of the population is HIV positive.<ref>[http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/islamicrepublicofiran UNAIDS: Islamic Republic of Iran]</ref>

* You should be able to find HIV and some other STI tests in most blood/urine testing labs in Iran.<ref>[Conversation with Tehran Local, December 2017]</ref>

* UNAIDS Iran: Fardad Doroudi, Telephone: +98 21 22 85 89 50. Email: DOROUDIF@UNAIDS.ORG

In Iran, pads are widely available. You should also be able to find tampons in supermarkets in cities. There have been some reports of a declining level of tampons, but this is not confirmed so we'll need someone to update this section with more info. Generally speaking, menstrual cups are extremely uncommon and it's unlikely that you will find them sold in Iranian markets.<ref>[Conversation with Tehran Local, December 2017]</ref>

* You can expect to pay between 250,000-80,000 rials for a 10-12 pack of pads/pantyliners in Iran.<ref>[Local Sources, December 2017]</ref>

Abortion on the rise in Iran]</ref> This was complemented by a 2011 report from the Guttmacher Institute, which estimated that 11,500 were performed on married women in Tehran each year and that "one of every six women of reproductive age will have an abortion in their lifetime if current age-specific abortion rates remain unchanged."<ref>[https://www.guttmacher.org/journals/ipsrh/2011/09/induced-abortion-tehran-iran-estimated-rates-and-correlates Induced Abortion in Tehran, Iran: Estimated Rates and Correlates]</ref> In the report, it was found that two thirds of such abortions were performed on women who had used some form of contraception, such as condoms, pills or the withdrawal method. Furthermore, women were most likely to request abortions when they were in their early 30s, educated, less religious, already had children and when they felt that they did not want more children. This was a very different profile than in Central Asia or Eastern Europe, where young girls were the most likely to request abortions. According to a PBS news article, "What these findings show is that abortion in Tehran is not the picture of desperate unwed schoolgirls that fulfills international stereotypes of who has abortions. It is an issue faced by adult married women motivated by the desire to plan their families, space their births and take care of the children they already have."<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/11/study-iranians-have-abortions-too.html Study | Iranians Have Abortions, Too]</ref>

* [https://www.omidfoundation.com/ Omid Foundation]: "OMID is committed to strengthening the social, emotional and economic opportunities of disadvantaged young women in Iran. We provide them with a sense of self worth and life and opportunities in three key areas: self-empowerment, education and training." Email: info@omidfoundation.com

* [http://ikwro.org.uk/ IKWRO (Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization)]: This London-based organization works on women's issues in the Middle East with a focus on Iran. "IKWRO’s mission is to protect Middle Eastern and Afghan women and girls who are at risk of ‘honour’ based violence, forced marriage, child marriage, female genital mutilation and domestic violence and to promote their rights." Address: IKWRO, PO Box 65840, London, EC2P 2FS