Dublin

Ireland / East Coast and Midlands / Dublin

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 Ireland, contraception (birth control) has been legal since 1980. You generally need a prescription to obtain birth control. Once you have a prescription, you can get birth control at pharmacies. You don't need a prescription for condoms. According to a 2015 report, 67.2% of Irish women (who were married or in-unions) used some form of contraception. The most common methods were condoms (23.7%), the pill (17.5%), IUDs (8.5%) and male sterilization (7.3%).

From 1935 to 1980, contraception was banned in Ireland. This was largely due to the Roman Catholic Church's view on birth control, which stated that birth control "deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life" and was therefore "an offence against the law of God and of nature." However, during this period, there were legal loopholes that allowed some people to obtain condoms (like making donations to family planning associations). The first serious attempt to liberalize Irish abortion laws came in 1971, when Senator Mary Robinson tried to introduce a bill into the Seanad, the upper house of the Irish legislature, but was not allowed to read the bill. The bill caused both controversy and discussion, but it was not passed. Later, in 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing marital privacy, which included the right to make contraceptive choices. However, the prohibition on contraceptive sales was not lifted until 1980, when the Health (Family Planning) Bill was passed. In 1985, the law was further broadened to allow the sale of condoms and spermicide (without a prescription) to anyone over 18 years old.

While some Irish people still oppose contraceptives, a large percentage of Irish women today use some form of contraception. However, contraceptive use in Ireland does remain one of the lowest in the European Union, signaling room for further education and accessibility among women.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Ireland, you can purchase condoms at pharmacies, supermarkets, GUM clinics and at vending machines (found in pubs and nightclubs). They can also often be found at student unions and health centers, where they're often free. In Dublin, you can get free condoms at HIV Ireland (70 Eccles St., Dublin 7) or, if you're a man who has sex with men, you can get them from the Man2Man Programme (they have locations in Outhouse, Pantibar and The George). For more information on where to find free condoms in Ireland, click here.
• In Ireland, you need a prescription for birth control pills. To do, you should go to a GP (General Practitioner) Once you have a prescription, you can expect to see brands like Yasmin, Ovranette, Ovranette 30, Microlite, Miranova, Cilest, Femodene, Mercilon, Marviol and Minulet at pharmacies. For information on birth control pills in Ireland, as well as general information about pill types, click here.
• If you want an intrauterine device (IUD), you can get it at many health centers, such as The Well Woman Centre, where you can get the Mirena and Jadelle.

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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

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.

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.