Lisbon

Portugal / Lisbon

OVERVIEW

Contraception (Birth Control0

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 Portugal, you can informally buy birth control pills without a prescription. This means that, while you may technically need a prescription, this isn't typically enforced. You can visit a pharmacy and purchase birth control pills over-the-counter.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Portugal, you can purchase contraceptive pills (birth control pills) without a prescription. Some of the brands you can expect to see are Microgest, Microgynon-30, Minigeste, Neomonovar and Nordette.

Costs

Birth control pills are relatively cheap. Minigeste costs about €5 per pack.

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 Portugal, emergency contraception pills (the morning after pill) are legal and available. You can purchase them over-the-counter at pharmacies without a prescription. There are no age restrictions for purchase of ECPs. You can also legally get an IUD as a form of emergency contraception in Portugal.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Portugal, you can purchase emergency contraception pills (morning after pills) without a prescription at pharmacies. You can expect to see a variety of types of ECPs (emergency contraception pills), including ellaOne, which is an anti-progestin pill and it's currently considered the most effective ECP available (as of 2017). For ellaOne, you take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex. You can also find progestin-only ECPs, like NorLevo 1.5mg, Postinor 1500. For both of these brands, you also take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex, but they may prove less effective than ellaOne (especially if it's been more than 72 hours).
• If you can't access dedicated emergency contraceptive pills, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement ECPs. The brands you can use include Microgest, Microgynon-30, Neomonovar and Nordette. For these brands, you take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later. You need to remember that, in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used.
• You can also get an IUD and use it as emergency contraception.

Costs

The costs of emergency contraception pills (ECPs) vary depending on whether you go to pharmacies or family planning centers. If you go to family planning centers, which can be found at primary health care centers and hospitals, you can get ECPs for free. However, if you go to a regular pharmacy, you can expect to pay full price. At pharmacies, for LNG type of emergency contraception pills (like NorLevo 1.5mg and Postinor 1500), you can expect to pay around € 12,50 – € 15,50, as of 2015. At pharmacies, for UPA type of emergency contraception pills (like ellaOne), you can expect to pay around € 24,90, as of 2015.

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.