Yaoundé

Cameroon / Yaoundé

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 Cameroon, you can purchase condoms and birth control pills at pharmacies without a prescription. While you may technically need a prescription for birth control pills, this is not typically enforced, and birth control pills are widely available over-the-counter. However, for other forms of contraception, such as implants, injectables, and IUDs, you may need to directly visit a hospital or clinic to obtain them.

In 2015, it was estimated that about 29% of Cameroonian women (who were married/in unions and between the ages of 15-49) were using any form of contraception, including traditional methods. This was slightly higher than the central African average (about 23% of women). Furthermore, it was estimated that about 23% had unmet family planning needs, which was slightly lower than the central African average (26% of women). However, it should be understood that modern contraceptive methods are not very popular, with only 17% of women using modern methods, on average. The most common forms of contraception were condoms (about 9% of women), the rhythm method (slightly less than 9% of women), shots/injectables (about 4% of women), birth control pills (about 2% of women), and withdrawal (about 2% of women). Less than 1% of women used contraceptive implants, IUDs, or female sterilization as their primary form of contraception.

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 to prevent pregnancy. 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 Cameroon, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can purchase emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) at pharmacies, and no prescription is required. You can purchase the pills directly from the pharmacist. Some of the brands you may find are NorLevo 1.5mg, P2, and ellaOne.
• 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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Cameroon, there are no known travel or residency restrictions for people with HIV/AIDS. This means that you can enter the country, regardless of your HIV status, and you should not be deported if you test positive for HIV while you are in the country.

There is a growing HIV infection rate in Cameroon. In 2017, it was estimated that 3.7% of adults of Cameroon were infected with HIV, which was the 16th highest rate in the world. Furthermore, HIV infection rates increased by 5% between 2010 and 2016. One especially concerning statistic is that there are 24,000 HIV/AIDS-related deaths per year, which is the 9th highest in the world. This data suggests that Cameroon may not be doing as much to prevent deaths as countries with similarly high or higher infection rates. Between 2010 and 2016, HIV/AIDS-related deaths increased by 13% in Cameroon.

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.

Pregnancy

Laws & Social Stigmas

The maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 596 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to 2015 data. This MMR is ranked 15th in the world, meaning that Cameroon has a significant MMR problem.

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.