Lisbon

Portugal / Lisbon

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 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.
• You can find Nuvaring in Portuguese pharmacies.

Costs

• Birth control pills are relatively cheap in Portugal. Minigeste costs about €5 per pack. Microgynon is 2.46€ per pack (as of October 2017).
• The standard price for Nuvaring in Portuguese pharmacies is 11,64€ (as of October, 2017).

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 obtain emergency contraception pills (morning after pills) without a prescription at public sector clinics, pharmacies and emergency rooms. 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. At family planning centers, you can also get IUDs (free of charge) if they're being used for emergency contraception, but this isn't very common. 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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Portugal, there are no travel restrictions related to HIV status. This means that you can enter Portugal without any medical certificates, and there will be no testing upon entry in the country. However, according to some sources, if you're non-Portuguese and wish to get a work or residency permit from a Portuguese consulate, you may be required to obtain a health certificate that states that you have no infectious diseases. This isn't completely confirmed, and the laws may vary depending on the health officials and consulates in your region. It's recommended to contact the Portuguese consulate to get more details.

Support

Below, we've listed the HIV treatment centers in Lisbon (that we know of). For a complete list of HIV treatment centers in all Portuguese cities, click here.

• Maternidade Alfredo da Costa: Rua Viriato, 1069-089 Lisboa
• Hospital Dr. Estefânia: Rua Jacinta Marto, 1169-045 Lisboa
• Hospital de S. José: Rua Bempostinha, 68, 1169-094 Lisboa
• Hospital Curry Cabral: Rua da Beneficência, 8, 1169-166 Lisboa
• Hospital Egas Moniz: Rua da Junqueira, 126, 1349-019 Lisboa
• Hospital S. Francisco Xavier: Estrada do Forte do Alto do Duque, 1440-005 Lisboa
• Hospital de Santa Maria: Rua Prof. Egas Moniz, 1600-190 Lisboa
• Hospital Pulido Valente: Alameda das Linhas de Torres, 117, 1769-001 Lisboa

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• If you have a yeast infection ("infección por levaduras" in Spanish), you can ask the pharmacist for Fluconazole, which is antifungal medication. They'll be able to give you Fluconazole or something similar.
• If you have a urinary tract infection ("infecção do trato urinário" in Portuguese), you should contact a doctor/pharmacist to find out next steps.
• As of 2017, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) will soon be available in Portugal (as part of a PrEP study program)

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 Portugal, you can find pads/pantyliners and tampons sold in many supermarkets.
• If you would like purchase menstrual cups, they can be found in certain stores in Portugal, such as Miiosotis, a health food store with multiple locations in Lisbon. You can contact them at +351 21 136 9849. You can also can find OrganiCup sold at Loja Saruga - Mercearia Saudável in Faro, Loja EcologicalKids in Porto and Loja NUTRIBIO in Braga. Finally, you can buy menstrual cups online and then have them sent to your Portuguese address. For example, you can buy MoonCup from Rebento, which is a Portuguese online retailer.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• "Dra. Patricia Teixeira is very good , CUF Cascais & Descobertas" - Lisbon local, October 2017

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 Portugal, abortion is legal for the first 10 weeks of gestation. However, if you're a minor, you will be typically required to get parental permission for your parents or guardian. Furthermore, before any women obtains an abortion, she must first consult with a doctor, and then she must have a period of reflection of at least three days, before she can obtain an abortion. Once the reflection period is over, the pregnant person can receive an abortion at a public hospital or private clinic that is recognized by the Health Ministry.

For many years, Portugal had one of the strictest abortion policies in Europe. Until 2007, abortion was only permitted in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy when the pregnancy endangered the life of the woman or when the pregnancy was due to rape. In all other cases, abortion was illegal. These laws were changed in 2007, allowing abortion to be available upon request during the first ten weeks of gestation. However, due to the mandatory three-day wait period, there are still some hurdles faced by women who wish to obtain an abortion in Portugal.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Hospitals/physicians that may perform abortions in Lisbon:

• Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte, E.P.E.-H.: Sta Maria Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-035 Lisboa
• Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, E.P.E.- Maternidade Dr. Alfredo da Costa Rua Viriato, 1069-089 Lisboa
• Clinica dos Arcos 15, Rua Mae de Agua 1250-154 Lisbon
• Hospital Beatriz Ângelo - Loures Avenida Carlos Teixeira, 3 2674-514 Loures
• Hospital Garcia de Orta: Av. Torrado da Silva 2805-267 Almada
• Hospital Professor - Dr. Fernando Fonseca, E.P.E.: Rua IC 19 - Venteira 2720-276 Amadora
• Hospital SAMS: Rua Cidade de Gabela 1 1849-017 Lisboa
• Hospital Vila Franca de Xira - H. Dr. Reynaldo dos Santos: Estrada Nacional Nº1, Povos 2600-009 Vila Franca de Xira

General resources for information on abortion options in Portugal:

• Associação Médicos Pela Escolha - MpE: Email: medicospelaescolha@gmail.com, Morada: Apartado 23344 / 1171-801 Lisboa / Portugal

Telefone: + 351 962 201 809

• Associação para o Planeamento da Família – APF: Morada: Rua da Artilharia Um, n.º 38, 2° Dto /1250-040 Lisboa / Portugal, Telefone: (+351) 21 385 39 93 , Fax: (+351) 21 388 73 79
• Linha Opções – 707 2002 49 (Horário: segunda a sexta-feira, das 12h às 20h)
• Direcção Geral de Saúde: Linha Saúde 24 (Ministério da Saúde) - 808 24 24 24
• Clínica dos Arcos: Email: clinica@clinicadosarcos.com, Morada: Rua da Mãe de Água, nº 15A / 1250-154 Lisboa / Portugal, Telefone: (+351) 21 322 0000

List of Additional Resources

• National emergency number: 112
• International Women in Portugal (IWP): "IWP, International Women in Portugal, is a social organization for women of all ages and nationalities in the Lisbon – Cascais area." Address: Associação de Mulheres Internacionais em Portugal, Apartado 6, 2751-901 Cascais.