Kigali

Rwanda / Kigali

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 Rwanda, you can obtain oral contraceptives (birth control pills) without a prescription.

According to a 2015 UN report, it was found that 53.5% of women in Rwanda (who are married/in unions and of reproductive age) use some form of contraception, including traditional methods. Meanwhile, about 20% of Rwandan women have unmet family planning needs. The number of women who are using contraceptives are high for the East African region, where about 40% of women use contraceptives on average..

In Rwanda, the most common forms of contraception for women are by far contraceptive injectables, which are used by 28.1% of women. After injectables, women tend to use various forms of traditional methods (17%), though there are low rates of usage for traditional methods such as the rhythm method (0.5%) and withdrawal (0.4%). Regarding modern contraceptive methods, women sometimes use birth control pills (7.6%) and contraceptive implants (6.7%), though numbers remain relatively low. There are very low usage rates for condoms (3.1%) or IUDs (0.5%).

There is certainly work to be done to improve contraceptive accessibility and education in the country. In Rwanda, there is no comprehensive sex-education in schools, though efforts have been made to improve the training of teachers in sex-education topics by UNFPA, as of 2016.

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 Rwanda, it appears that you can obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) without a prescription. Furthermore, emergency contraception is included in police protocol for survivors of rape or sexual violence. However, Rwandan laws related to emergency contraception are rather vague and don't clearly defined what is permitted. For example, the National Family Planning Policy does not include information related to emergency contraception and Rwanda’s Health Sector Strategic Plan for 2009-2012 also does not mention emergency contraception. Yet, Rwanda’s National Training Module for Family Planning (March 2008) does include a chapter on emergency contraception. This leads to a muddled understanding of emergency contraception that translates into confusion on hospital floors. In 2009, a survey found that only 13% of Rwandan clinics had guidelines related to EC, and many of these facilities did not have EC available in the rooms that they had dedicated to working with victims of sexual violence. However, the Yuzpe method of emergency contraception (i.e. using regular birth control pills as EC) was available in 62% of the surveyed facilities.

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.

Testing Facilities

• Remera Health Center: This clinic is included in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Global Directory, so they should either provide HIV tests or be able to direct you to a clinic that does. Address: Remera Gasabo, Kigali, Rwanda. Phone: (+250) 788614060
• Kinyinya Health Center: This clinic is included in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Global Directory, so they should either provide HIV tests or be able to direct you to a clinic that does. Address: Kinyinya Gasabo, Kigali Rwanda. Phone: (+250) 788777798
• Kagugu Health Center: This clinic is included in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Global Directory, so they should either provide HIV tests or be able to direct you to a clinic that does. Address: Kagugu Gasabo, Kigali Rwanda. Phone: (+250) 788527621
• Kabuye Health Center: This clinic is included in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Global Directory, so they should either provide HIV tests or be able to direct you to a clinic that does. Address: Kabuye Gasabo, Kigali Rwanda. Phone: (+250) 788440372
• Kacyiru Police Health: Address: This clinic is included in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Global Directory, so they should either provide HIV tests or be able to direct you to a clinic that does. Center Kacyiru Gasabo, Kigali Rwanda. Phone: (+250) 788842179

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.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Dr. Okesha (male gynecologist) at Legacy Clinic
• Dr Heba (female gynecologist) at Kigali Medical Center in Kimironko - "She is great" (Kigali local). One local paid 13000 for a visit.

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.