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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Kyrgyzstan, you | In Kyrgyzstan, you can purchase condoms or oral contraceptives (birth control pills) without a prescription at pharmacies.<ref>[Conversation with a Bishkek pharmacist, April 2018]</ref> You can also access longer-lasting contraceptive methods, such as IUDs, at clinics and hospitals in the country. | ||
Generally speaking, the most common contraceptive methods in Kyrgyzstan are IUDs and condoms. In 2015, it was estimated that 42% of women (who are married/in unions and of reproductive age) in Kyrgyzstan use some form of contraception, and about 17% of women have unmet family planning needs. This is below the average rate of contraceptive use in Central Asia, which is 57%. The most common contraceptive methods were found to be IUDs (22%), male condoms (10%) and birth control pills (4%). There were low usage rates for traditional methods (2%), female sterilization (1%) and withdrawal (1%). Meanwhile, less than 1% of women used contraceptive injectables or the rhythm method, and there was no recorded usage of male sterilization, female barrier methods or contraceptive implants.<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref> | |||
Generally speaking, Kyrgyzstan is a socially conservative country. The majority of Kyrgyz citizens are Muslim (75%) followed by Russian Orthodox (20%). While Kyrgyz people (who make up about 71% of the population) are not extremely religious on average, they can be considered very traditional.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kg.html CIA World Factbook: Kyrgyzstan]</ref> Frank discussion of sexuality is considered taboo,<ref>[https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_kyrgyzstan_uk-2-web2.pdf Kyrgyzstan: Women and children from Kyrgyzstan affected by migration]</ref> and bride kidnappings (“ala kachuu”) are sadly common. In fact, it was estimated that up to 40% of ethnic Kyrgyz women were married after being kidnapped and nearly two-thirds of bride kidnappings are unplanned. While bride kidnapping has been technically illegal since 1994, it is still widely practiced.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/grab-and-run-1634 GRAB AND RUN: KYRGYZSTAN'S BRIDE KIDNAPPINGS]</ref> <ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kyrgyzstan-bride-kidnapping_us_57d05dede4b03d2d4597eef5 Little Is Being Done To End Kyrgyzstan’s Bride Kidnapping Crisis]</ref> | For women in Kyrgyzstan, contraceptive access depends on many factors, including location, income status, personal opinions and general autonomy outside of the expectations of family and community. While wealthy women in urban centers, like Bishkek, can often find contraceptive options in pharmacies, women from low-income or rural backgrounds often struggle to access contraceptives. In the 1990s, the Kyrgyz government launched a program to promote family planning and reduce infant mortality, but the majority of women still could not access birth control pills. During that time, the most common family planning methods were IUDs and abortion.<ref>[https://eurasianet.org/s/kyrgyzstan-abortion-believed-to-be-most-common-form-of-birth-control Kyrgyzstan: Abortion Believed to be Most Common Form of Birth Control]</ref> In the 2000s, UNFPA launched a program that provided free birth control pills to Kyrgyz families from impoverished backgrounds, but the program ended in 2017 and the Kyrgyz government has not done enough to fill the gap left by UNFPA's departure. While the government has begun to offer a 50% discount for birth control pills, this only applies to people who hold medical insurance policies, which excludes many rural women.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-contraceptive-pill-un-program/28527777.html End Of UN Contraceptive Program In Kyrgyzstan A Bitter Pill For Many]</ref> | ||
Generally speaking, Kyrgyzstan is a socially conservative country. The majority of Kyrgyz citizens are Muslim (75%) followed by Russian Orthodox (20%). While Kyrgyz people (who make up about 71% of the population) are not extremely religious on average, they can be considered very traditional.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kg.html CIA World Factbook: Kyrgyzstan]</ref> Frank discussion of sexuality is typically considered taboo,<ref>[https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_kyrgyzstan_uk-2-web2.pdf Kyrgyzstan: Women and children from Kyrgyzstan affected by migration]</ref> and bride kidnappings (“ala kachuu”) are sadly common. In fact, it was estimated that up to 40% of ethnic Kyrgyz women were married after being kidnapped and nearly two-thirds of bride kidnappings are unplanned. While bride kidnapping has been technically illegal since 1994, it is still widely practiced.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/grab-and-run-1634 GRAB AND RUN: KYRGYZSTAN'S BRIDE KIDNAPPINGS]</ref> <ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kyrgyzstan-bride-kidnapping_us_57d05dede4b03d2d4597eef5 Little Is Being Done To End Kyrgyzstan’s Bride Kidnapping Crisis]</ref> | |||
In 2015, Parliament passed a bill that established the legal basis to teach sexuality education in schools. While the bill was controversial and opposed by some people, it was also welcomed by others. In fact, it was found that 80% of parents in Kyrgyzstan wanted their children to receive sexuality education, and many stated that they did not know how to talk about sexuality with their children.<ref>[https://www.unfpa.org/news/sexuality-education-comes-kyrgyzstan Sexuality education comes to Kyrgyzstan]</ref> | In 2015, Parliament passed a bill that established the legal basis to teach sexuality education in schools. While the bill was controversial and opposed by some people, it was also welcomed by others. In fact, it was found that 80% of parents in Kyrgyzstan wanted their children to receive sexuality education, and many stated that they did not know how to talk about sexuality with their children.<ref>[https://www.unfpa.org/news/sexuality-education-comes-kyrgyzstan Sexuality education comes to Kyrgyzstan]</ref> | ||