Muscat

Oman / Muscat

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 Oman, according to a 2015 UN report, 37.4% of women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) use some form of contraception. It was found that 28.3% of women have unmet family planning needs, which is rather high for the region (compared to 11.3% for Bahrain, 19.2% for Qatar and 19.5% for the UAE in 2015). The most common contraceptive methods were found to be withdrawal, also known as the "pull-out method" (7.2%), shots/injectables (5.6%), female sterilization (5.6%), pills (5.2%), condoms (4.2%) and IUDs (3.9%). There appeared to be practically no usage of contraceptive implants (0% usage in the report) and vaginal barrier methods (0% usage in the report).

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Oman, some of the birth control brands that you may find in pharmacies are Ovral, Ovrette, Lo-Femenal, Microgynon-30 and Nordette.

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

It appears that emergency contraception pills (the morning after pill) are not legally available in Oman (but we're still researching this). However, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement EC. For more information on how to do this, check out the "What To Get & Where To Get It" section below.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• We cannot find evidence of any dedicated emergency contraception pills (morning after pills) available in Oman. However, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement EC. To do this, you can do the following:
  • For this brand of pill, take 40 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex: Ovrette</ref>
  • For this brand of pill, take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later (and only take from the first 21 pills in the pack): Ovral</ref>
  • For this brand, take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later (and only take from the first 21 pills in the pack): Lo-Femenal, Microgynon-30, Nordette</ref>

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 Oman, there are certain restrictions related to HIV status. If you're visiting Oman as a tourist (i.e. a short-term stay), then you don't need to show any proof of your HIV status. There are no HIV tests or medical certificates required by border control. However, if you want to stay in Oman for a long-term stay (for example, if you're coming as a worker, student or resident), then you'll need to take medical exam, which includes an HIV test. If you're found to be HIV-positive, you will be expelled from the country.

Overall, there is a low prevalence of HIV in Oman. By the end of 2013, it was reported that there were 2394 HIV cases.

Support

• There are about 15 HIV treatment sites in Oman and over 800 people on antiretroviral treatment.

Resources/Organizations:

• UNAIDS - Regional Support Team for Middle East and North Africa: Contact, 2017 - Yamina Chakkar. Telephone: +201093260898. Email: CHAKKARY@UNAIDS.ORG

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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Oman, you can find pads/pantyliners in supermarkets and pharmacies. They will be the easiest menstrual products to find.
• In Oman, you can sometimes find tampons in supermarkets and pharmacies, especially in larger cities like Muscat. However, they are less readily available than pads or pantyliners. You can also buy tampons online and have them delivered to your address in Oman. For example, you can find [tampons sold on the Biovea website], where you can purchase the tampons in Omani currency.
• While you may have some difficulty finding menstrual cups in the markets of Oman, you can find them in Dubai, and potentially in Doha (but Dubai is much more likely to have them). Alternatively, you can also buy menstrual cups online and have them delivered to your address in Oman. For example, you can purchase menstrual cups on Ubuy, an international online retailer, which sells items in OMR and can do international delivery. As of September 2017, they sell menstrual cup brands like Blossom, Athena, DivaCup, LENA, Bodybay, LunaCup, etc. We recommend that you check out the website for the most recent prices and offers.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find a list of health service fees from the Ministry of Health here.

Public Hospitals

• Al Nahda Hospital
• Khoula Hospital
• The Royal Hospital: This hospital is managed and owned by the Ministry of Health.
• Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH): Call: +968 24 141271. Email: squinfo@squ.edu.om

Private Hospitals

• Apollo Medical Centre:
• Aster Health (Formerly Al Raffah Hospital): This is actually in Dubai
• Kims Oman Hospital:
• Medident:
• Muscat Private Hospital:
• Starcare Hospital:

Pregnancy

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Fetal Medicine and Genetic Center: This is in Dubai, but it's supposed to be very good.

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 Oman, abortion is only permitted to save a woman's life, according to Penal Code of 16 February 1974. In other words, if a pregnancy seriously endangers the life of a pregnant woman, she may legally seek out an abortion. However, for all other cases, an abortion is not permitted. If a woman illegally receives an abortion that she has consented to, or if she illegally tries to perform an abortion herself, she may receive three to six months in prison. Furthermore, if someone tries to illegally perform an abortion on a woman (who has consented to the abortion), that person can receive six months to six years in prison. If someone tries to perform an abortion on a woman who has not consented to the abortion, that person can receive up to five years in prison.

Advocacy & Counseling

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Toll Free Number for Family Counseling (provided by Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour): 800-77788

List of Additional Resources

• To learn about laws related to LGBT issues in Oman, click here. Note that Oman is a conservative country and homosexuality is illegal (as of September 2017).
• Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour: This ministry focuses on social care, social security, development, etc.
• The Omani Women Association: "The Omani Women Association was declared in pursuant with the Ministerial Decision No. 32/84 on 19/2/1972. It is a social, cultural and voluntary organization that aims at promoting Omani women in all social and cultural arenas." TELEPHONE: 24602800 – 95373940 - 24693504. EMAIL: OWA70C@GMAIL.COM
• Women's Guild Oman: The WGO mission is to "offer fellowship, an opportunity for women to meet each other, to enjoy a varied programme of speakers and events, and to raise funds for charitable purposes."
• Muscat Mums: "Muscat Mums is a support network for families living in Muscat, promoting a sense of community and friendship."