Tirana

Albania / Tirana

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 Albania, you can purchase condoms and birth control pills at pharmacies without a prescription. While you may technically need a prescription for birth control pills, this is not typically enforced, and birth control pills are widely available over-the-counter. However, for other forms of birth control, such as implants, injectables, and IUDs, you may need to directly visit a health care provider.

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. 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 Albania, emergency contraceptive pills are available, and a prescription is technically required by law. However, it appears that it is informally available at pharmacies over-the-counter, so no prescription may be required.

From 2008-09, it was estimated that about 2.4% of Albanian women had ever used emergency contraceptive pills, and about 28% of women of reproductive age had knowledge of emergency contraception.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Albania, emergency contraceptive pills are available, and you can informally purchase them over-the-counter. While the law technically requires that you get a prescription in advance, this doesn't seem to be widely enforced. This means that you should be able to walk into a pharmacy and purchase emergency contraceptive pills, regardless of whether you have a prescription.
• Some of the emergency contraceptive pill brands you can expect to see in pharmacies are NorLevo 1.5mg and Postinor-2.

Costs

Emergency contraception pills cost around 700-1500 leke in Albania, as of May 2020.

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 2017, it was estimated that around 1400 people were living with HIV in Albania.

Support

• UNAIDS Albania

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.

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Albania, abortion is legally available in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. While the law states that abortions are permitted if the pregnancy causes social or psychological problems, these laws are very general, so they may be interpreted to include many cases. To learn more, you can check out this link on Albanian Abortion Law</ref>.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Marie Stopes International Albania: Location: Rruga Tefta,Tashko 10, Tirana, Albania; Tel: +355 4 224 10 18
• Shoqata Shqiptare e Planifikimit Familjar/ Albanian Family Planning Association (AFPA): Address: Bulevardi 'Gjergj Fishta', Kompleksi Tirana 2000, Kulla Nr. 4, Tirana; Email: info@acpd-al.org; Phone: +355 (42) 2514 75

List of Additional Resources

• Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
• The Family Planning Association of Albania (FPAA): "The Family Planning Association of Albania (FPAA) runs family planning clinics in Tirana and Lezha, and has branches in 6 districts of the country. The organization trains health personnel in reproductive health, post-delivery contraception and safe abortion techniques."
• Association of Albanian Girls: "The “Association of Albanian Girls and Women” (AAGW) is an organization created in 2003 by and for victims of human trafficking in Albania." They provide job training and assistance to women so they can reintegrate back into society. Email: aagwmail@gmail.com
• Equaldex - Albania: Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Albania.
• Aleanca LGBT Albania: This voluntary youth organization works for LGBTQ rights in Albania.
• Pink Embassy: "PINK Embassy / LGBT Pro Albania is a non-profit organization which works for the protection and advancement of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, intersex and queer people in Albania." Phone: +355 4 2265741. Email: info@pinkembassy.al