San Salvador

El Salvador / Metropolitan Area of San Salvador / San Salvador

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 El Salvador, you can purchase contraception (birth control) without a prescription. According to a 2015 report, 70.7% of Salvadoran women (who are married or in unions) use any form of contraception. The most common forms of contraception are female sterilization (34.4%), injectables (19.5%), pills (4.8%) and male condoms (4.2%).

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In El Salvador, you can purchase birth control pills at pharmacies without a prescription. Some of the brands you can expect to see are Miranova, Nordette, Yasmin, Yaz and more other brands. For a full list of available contraceptives in El Salvador, click here.
• If you want contraceptive injections, you should be able to find Depo-Provera, Norigynon Noristerat and other brands. For a full list, click here.
• If you want contraceptive implants, you should be able to find Norplant and Jadelle in El Salvador.
• If you want an IUD, you should be able to get a Mirena in El Salvador.

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

From a legal standpoint, it appears that you need a prescription to obtain emergency contraception (the morning after pill) in El Salvador. However, this law may not be enforced, so we'll need to confirm this (does anyone know?).

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In El Salvador, you can find dedicated emergency contraception. For anti-progestin EC, you should take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex. Here are the brands you may find: Duprisal 30
• For progestin only EC, you should take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex. Here are the brands you may find: Postinor 1
• If you cannot access dedicated emergency contraception, you can use some oral contraceptives (regular birth control pills) as replacement EC. To do this, you should remember that, in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used. Here is what you can use:
  • Take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later: Denoval, Eugynon, Neogynon, Nordiol, Ovral
  • Take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later: Lo-Femenal, Microgynon, Nordette
• This information was provided by the Princeton EC website, so refer to that website for more details.
• Remember that IUDs can also prevent pregnancy for up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Check out the "Contraception (Birth Control)" section for details.

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

• Asociación Demográfica Salvadoreña (ADS): Provides STI tests. "ADS is the largest non-governmental sexual and reproductive health care provider in El Salvador." Address: 25 Avenida Norte # 583, Pro-Familia building, Apartado Postal 1338, San Salvador, El Salvador. Phone: Switch: + (503) 2132-8100. Email: Info@ads.org.sv

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.