Valletta

Malta / Valletta

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.

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 Malta, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required. However, it should be noted that general accessibility of emergency contraceptive pills is quite new in Malta, as it was only made legal in December 2016 after a legal challenge from the Women's Rights Foundation. For this reason, if you review older or outdated sources about emergency contraception in Malta, you may read that emergency contraceptive pills are unavailable or illegal in Malta.

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. Some brands you may find are Escapelle 1500mg, Levonelle 1500mg, ellaOne 30mg.
• 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 Malta, 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.

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.

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 Malta, abortion is generally prohibited, including when the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, and in some cases when it endangers the health of the pregnant person. It is not available upon request. If someone terminates their own pregnancy, or if a doctor helps someone terminate their pregnancy, they may face up three years in jail each. As of 2019. Malta has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world, and it has the strictest abortion laws in Europe. However, there is a grassroots movement that is aiming to try to change these laws, such as Voices for Choice.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Voices for Choice: "We are a group of civil society organisations and individuals that together want to work for reproductive rights and justice in Malta. We are grassroot organisations that represent various sectors of our society, as well as individuals that are passionate about reproductive health and rights. Abortion continues to remain criminalised in Malta in all circumstances. We know that the reality is that women in Malta are still seeking and having abortions. However, this comes at both a financial and a social cost as these women continue to live in fear, stigma and shame in our society. Malta is a compassionate country that has over the decades ensured full inclusivity. It is time that the laws related to abortion follow suit so as to reflect the reality of people’s lives. We are here to ensure that all pregnant persons, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, beliefs or age are supported, respected and protected whatever their choices." Email: vfcmalta@gmail.com

List of Additional Resources

• Ministry on Health
• Equaldex - Malta: Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Malta.