Brussels

Belgium / Brussels

OVERVIEW

Contraception (Birth Control)

Birth control purchased in Belgium for 18€

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 Belgium, you can purchase condoms without a prescription at pharmacies. However, you need a prescription to obtain most forms of birth control, such as pills, implants, injectables, and IUDs. According to a local, "In Belgium, chemists are often very open-minded and will not be shaming you for asking or not (if you ask for contraception). It's very common for woman go to buy some."

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 Belgium, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required. There are also no age restrictions for purchasing emergency contraceptive pills.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) at pharmacies, and they are sold over-the-counter. They are available at pharmacies, public sector clinics, and emergency rooms. Some brands you may find are [BRANDS].
• Note: The longest-lasting EC is currently ellaOne. It lasts up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. It is available in Belgium. 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.

Costs

• Here are the prices for emergency contraceptive pills in 2016: LNG: € 8,55 - € 9,85 (€ 0 - € 0,85 if <21 years old), as of 2013; UPA: € 24,99 (€ 15,99 if <21 years old), as of 2016.

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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Everything you'll need when you have your period are on every supermarket. Even in the little grocery stores : tampon, all kind of pads, ...

If you have cramps you can go to a drugstore, and ask for a painkiller. Ask for paracétamol or ibuprophène. They are cheaper. There is Perdofemina which are specialy for menstruation cramp but it'll cost a little more.

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

• FPS Public Health - Health.Belgium
• Family planning centres: "The Family planning centres provide information and assistance to all on family matters, without reservation, prejudice or restriction. These centres have their own multidisciplinary team of doctors, gynaecologists, psychologists, legal experts, marriage counsellors, sexologists and social workers."
• The Fédération Francophone Belge pour le Planning Familial et l'Education Sexuelle : "The Fédération Francophone Belge pour le Planning Familial et l'Education Sexuelle serves Belgium's Wallonian community. It runs 42 centres, where it conducts training in family planning for health personnel, and an information and documentation centre. The organisation is prominent in the promotion of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights, and has organized a solidarity campaign for Algerian migrant women."
• Sensoa: "Sensoa serves Belgium’s Flemish community. It is the official government partner in the Flemish region with regard to SRH promotion. The organisation was created in 2003 from the merger of several HIV and AIDS organizations and the region’s family planning association (CGSO)."
• Equaldex - Belgium: Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Belgium.