Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso / Ouagadougou

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 Burkina Faso, you cannot purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) over-the-counter at pharmacies. A prescription is required.

Generally speaking, women in Burkina Faso may hold limited autonomy to make decisions about their reproductive health on their own. Burkina Faso has a very high birth rate (nearly 6 women per child), making it the country with the seventh highest birth rate in the world. Women are typically expected to marry and become mothers at a young age. Once they are married, their choices regarding contraceptive use, including birth spacing, may be largely or entirely in the hands of their husbands and/or mother-in-laws. It is also important to understand that, in Burkina Faso, there is a high rate of both female genital cutting and child marriage. There is also a reported problem of forced marriage, unwanted pregnancies, and a lack of sex education schools. This may create an environment for women in which they generally hold less autonomy to make independent decisions about their bodies and lives.

According to a 2015 United Nations report, it was found that about 19% of Burkinabé women (who were of reproductive age and married/in unions) used any form of contraception, including traditional methods. This rate was slightly higher to the West African regional average for contraceptive use among women in 2015 (about 16%). The most common contraceptive methods for Burkinabé women were found to be birth control pills (7%), contraceptive implants (4%), contraceptive implants (6%), and birth control pills (4%). Male condoms were used by some couples (about 2%). While some couples opted for sterilization, the rates were rather low (less than 1% for women and 0% for men). There were especially low rates of usage for IUDs (less than 1%) and the vaginal barrier method (less than 1%). Traditional methods were also used at a very low rate, such as the rhythm method (less than 1%) and withdrawal (practically 0%).

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 Burkina Faso, you can obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) at pharmacies, private clinics, family planning centers, and social marketing programs. You can obtain some ECPs without a prescription, but some other ones require a prescription. The lowest cadre of health worker that is allowed to distribute ECPs is midwives.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Burkina Faso, you can obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) at pharmacies, private clinics, family planning centers, and social marketing programs. You can get NorLevo 1.5 and Vikela, both of which are produced by French pharmaceutical companies, over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required. Meanwhile, if you go to a family planning clinic, you can directly access Optinor, an emergency contraceptive pill that is produced by WomanCare Global and distributed by a subsidiary of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Finally, you can also find ellaOne in Burkina Faso, which is considered the most effective ECP, as of June 2018. However, a prescription is required for ellaOne.
• If you cannot access dedicated emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) in Burkina Faso, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement ECPs. To learn more about how to do this, you can visit the Princeton EC Website.
• If you cannot access dedicated emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) in Burkina Faso, you can potentially get an IUD, which can prevent pregnancy for up to five days after unprotected sex. You should talk to a local health care professional about options.

Costs

• In January 2014, LNG emergency contraceptive pills cost around 3,625 CFA.

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 Burkina Faso, there are no travel or residency restrictions related to HIV status. This means that, if you're a foreigner who is visiting Burkina Faso, you will not need to present a medical certificate related to your HIV status or reveal your HIV status in order to enter the country. Furthermore, if you plan to attain a work or residency visa in Burkina Faso, you will not be required to take an HIV test.

As a country, Burkina Faso has made remarkable strides regarding HIV prevention and treatment in recent years. Between 2010 and 2016, the HIV infection rates decreased by 45% in Burkina Faso and AIDS-related deaths decreased by 13%. All health districts have programs to prevent mother-to-child prevention of HIV, and community health workers along with NGOs have provided critical HIV education to people in remote and rural communities. By 2016, it was estimated that about 0.8% of the adult population (ages 15-49) were living with HIV in 2016. However, the HIV infection rate was higher for women, with an estimated 1.1% living with HIV. The most impacted groups were sex workers (16.2% infection rate), men who have sex with men (3.6% infection rate) and prisoners (3% infection rate).

However, there is still room for improvement. The country has struggled to fully distribute antiretroviral drugs in the decentralized manner required by many Burkinabe people.

Further Reading:

• Community health worker leads the way in Burkina Faso

Support

• UNAIDS - Burkina Faso: Contact: Job SAGBOHAN, UNAIDS Country Director. Phone: +23276801402. Email: sagbohanj@unaids.org
• Hope for AIDS - Burkina Faso: This organization provides education, HIV testing, and counseling, especially in more rural and remote parts of the country.
• Secrétariat permanent du comité national de lutte contre le sida: 01 B.P. 7009, Ouagadougou 03. Phone +226 324 188 / 311 218. Contact person: Mrs. Tall
• Centre d'information de conseil et de documentation sur le sida et la tuberculose (CICDoc) 01 B.P. 1788, Ouagadougou 01, Phone +226 369 690, Contact person: Dr. Niamba
• AAS Association African Solidarité: 01 B.P. 2831, Ouagadougou 01, E-mail: aas@fasonet.bf, Phone +226 353 548
• Centre d'information de conseil et de documentation sur le sida et la tuberculose (CICDoc): 01 B.P. 1788, Ouagadougou 01. Phone +226 369 690. Contact person: Dr. Niamba

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find the HPV vaccine available in Burkina Faso. There is a nationwide vaccination pilot program, as of 2017.
• While Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is potentially available in Burkina Faso, it's rather rare. As of 2018, Gilead’s Truvada (TDF/FTC) is not approved for prevention.

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

• Marie Stopes International - Burkina Faso: "Our founding clinic offers a full range of reproductive health and family planning services. We lead the field in clinical quality standards and client focus, doubling as knowledge centres for the organisation’s outreach teams and government clinics. Our three outreach teams comprise a nurse, driver, assistant and doctor who travel to hard to reach parts of the country by boat and car, offering long acting and permanent (LAPM) contraceptive services to those who need them most." Address: MSI Burkina Faso, Blvd Tengsoba face à la gare routière, Patte d’Oie, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Telephone: +226 50 31 12 42/43, Fax: +226 50 31 12 46

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.

List of Additional Resources

• Equaldex Burkina Faso: This website provides information related to LGBTQ rights and laws in Burkina Faso. As of 2018, homosexuality is legal in Burkina Faso, but homosexual marriage is not legally recognized. It is legal to have your gender changed, and you don't need to undergo surgery to have your gender change recognized by the government. The laws related to protection against discrimination (such as housing or employment discrimination) are ambiguous.