Tehran

Iran / Central Iran / Tehran

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 Iran, you can purchase contraception (birth control) without a prescription. According to a 2015 report, 76.6% of Iranian women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) use some form of contraception. The most common forms of contraception are withdrawal/"the pull out method" (16.9%), birth control pills (15.6%), female sterilization (14.8%), male condoms (13.7%) and IUDs (8.4%). Overall, it is estimated that 6.5% of Iranian women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) have unmet family planning needs, a rate that is lower than many Western European countries.

Historically, the Iranian government has shifted its views on family planning in the last few decades. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, family planning clinics were closed down and the Iranian government encouraged population growth. The price of birth control pills was inflated from one hundred rials to one thousand rials per pack and the newly formed Iranian Marriage Foundation encouraged marriage by providing newlyweds with furniture. The marriage age was lowered to nine years old for girls and fourteen years old for boys, and polygamy was legalized. However, in 1989, the government's policies began to rapidly change. The war with Iraq had ended, Ayatollah Khomeini had died, and the new leaders were Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Under this new leadership, the government began to directly address the problems of population growth by stating that Islam favored families with only two children. Furthermore, Iran's Health Ministry introduced more readily available contraceptive options to the market, including condoms, pills, implants, IUDs and sterilization. By 1993, the government required that couples take birth control classes before they were married and removed paid maternity leave. An Iranian condom factory reportedly produced more than 70 million condoms per year. In 2006, with the rise of President Ahmadinejad, the government once again called for women to have many babies, which the President labeled to be the "main mission" of women.

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.