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Karachi: Difference between revisions
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'''OVERVIEW''' | '''OVERVIEW''' | ||
As the largest city in Pakistan, you will find many health care resources in Karachi. | As the largest city in Pakistan, you will find many health care resources in Karachi. Birth control pills and condoms can be legally obtained without a prescription. While many Pakistani women do not use modern contraceptive methods, you can find condoms, birth control pills, IUDs, shots, injectables and more. You can also purchase emergency contraception (the morning after pill) without a prescription at pharmacies, health centers or clinics, and there are no age restrictions. The lowest cadre of health worker who is allowed to sell or dispense EC are auxiliary nurse midwives. You can receive STD/STI tests in Karachi, and there are no travel or residency restrictions attached to HIV status. Currently, there are no national programs in place for PrEP or HPV vaccines. Maternity care is provided for generally 45 days. If you are seeking out an abortion, it is only permitted in a few special circumstances, which we detail below. Many women in Pakistan resort to unsafe clandestine abortions every year, which are not recommended. Rather, if a woman is interested in seeking out an abortion, we provide recommended resources to help you in the "Abortion" section below. | ||
==Contraception (Birth Control)== | ==Contraception (Birth Control)== | ||
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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Pakistan, | In Pakistan, birth control pills and condoms are available without a prescription. It is estimated that 38.5% of Pakistani women use some form of contraception. The most popular methods are male condom (9.9%), female sterilization (9.8%), withdrawal (8.4%), injectable (3.2%) and IUD (2.6%).<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf]</ref> The Pakistani government is concerned about the surging population and maternal mortality rate, so it has sought to emphasize family planning. However, contraceptive usage remains fairly low. This can be partially understood through the social, political and religious lens of modern Pakistan. | ||
The Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) was founded in 1953. The founder, Saeeda Waheed, was an advocate of birth control. FPAP was a part of Third Five Year Plan (1965–1970), which helped lay the foundation for Pakistani family planning strategy. During that period, the main contraceptive method switched from condoms to IUDs. Yet, in 1977, the government of General Zia ul-Haq banned publicity for family planning, amidst extreme political turmoil and the declaration of martial law. After Zia's power ended, family planning and population control went under the Ministry of Health, which has unfortunately remained fairly unchanged for the last 35 years. In recent years, there has been an effort to bring health care providers to women's homes, similar to the successful Bangladeshi door-to-door services. Yet, Pakistan's family planning policies still lag behind other Muslim nations, like Iran and Bangladesh, while military spending takes precedence over many other aspects of Pakistani society, including family planning. As reported by the Washington Post in 2011, "Over 50 years, Pakistan’s fertility rate has dropped from about six children per woman to an average of about four. But the decline has been far too slow for the country to reach its target of 2.2 children per woman by 2020."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/family-planning-is-a-hard-sell-in-pakistan/2011/11/08/gIQANeGcuO_story.html?utm_term=.7045df7d0d38 Family planning is a hard sell in Pakistan]</ref> | The Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) was founded in 1953. The founder, Saeeda Waheed, was an advocate of birth control. FPAP was a part of Third Five Year Plan (1965–1970), which helped lay the foundation for Pakistani family planning strategy. During that period, the main contraceptive method switched from condoms to IUDs. Yet, in 1977, the government of General Zia ul-Haq banned publicity for family planning, amidst extreme political turmoil and the declaration of martial law. After Zia's power ended, family planning and population control went under the Ministry of Health, which has unfortunately remained fairly unchanged for the last 35 years. In recent years, there has been an effort to bring health care providers to women's homes, similar to the successful Bangladeshi door-to-door services. Yet, Pakistan's family planning policies still lag behind other Muslim nations, like Iran and Bangladesh, while military spending takes precedence over many other aspects of Pakistani society, including family planning. As reported by the Washington Post in 2011, "Over 50 years, Pakistan’s fertility rate has dropped from about six children per woman to an average of about four. But the decline has been far too slow for the country to reach its target of 2.2 children per woman by 2020."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/family-planning-is-a-hard-sell-in-pakistan/2011/11/08/gIQANeGcuO_story.html?utm_term=.7045df7d0d38 Family planning is a hard sell in Pakistan]</ref> | ||