Copenhagen

Denmark / Copenhagen

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 Denmark, you need a prescription to obtain birth control pills. According to a 2015 report, it was found that 70.8% of Danish women (who are married or in unions) use any form of contraception, including traditional methods, and 9.4% have unmet family planning needs.

Generally speaking, Denmark is known for its relatively lax and progressive attitude toward sexuality. The topic of sex is not especially taboo, and sex education is an integral part of youth education. It is common practice for parents to permit their teenage children to invite boyfriends or girlfriends over for the night, and it's common for adult couples to live together without being married or having children.

Blog Posts about Birth Control in Denmark:

• Bureaucracy and birth control: Navigating the Danish health care system

What to Get & Where to Get It

Femicept birth control pills purchased in Denmark (35 dkk for a 3-month supply)

• In Denmark, you can buy condoms at pharmacies and grocery stores (they are usually sold at the checkout counter). You can purchase condoms from online retailers like Biovea, which sell a variety of brands, such as Trojan and Durex, and can deliver the condoms to your Danish address.
• In Denmark, you can find a variety of birth control pill brands. But first, you'll need to get a prescription to access the pills. If you don't already have a prescription, you can schedule an appointment with a General Practitioner. Note that, if you want to access the Danish public health care system, you'll need a CPR number. Once you have a prescription, you can obtain the pills at pharmacies, health clinics or IPPF-affiliated programs. Some of the birth control pill brands you can expect see at pharmacies include Cerazette, Orifarm, Microluton, Microval, Dystrol, Neogentrol, Neogynon, Nordiol, Gynatrol, Microgyn or Nordette.
• You can find the contraceptive patch, like the Evra patch, in Denmark, but a prescription is needed. Once you have a prescription, you can find it at the pharmacy.
• You can find IUDs and hormonal coils in Denmark, including Jaydess and Mirena.
• You can find contraceptive implants, such as Nexplanon, in Denmark.
• You can find contraceptive injectables, such as Depo-Provera, in Denmark.

Costs

• If you are a Danish citizen or resident, your basic medical costs should be covered and free of charge.

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 Denmark, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is needed and there are no age restrictions. You can obtain emergency contraceptive pills at family planning clinics, pharmacies and IPPF-affiliated programs, and it's estimated that about 20% of Danish women have ever used ECPs, according to 2010 data.

You can also obtain an IUD, which is included in the national policy guidelines as a valid form of emergency contraception. However, this will require a visit to a licensed health care practitioner to insert the IUD, so this will take more time than simply obtaining ECPs over-the-counter.

The official guidelines for emergency contraceptive usage in Denmark can be found in the DSOG, which was published in 2009. Later, in 2015, the Family Planning Association Sex & Samfund published new information in response to the change in UPA EC’s status.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Denmark, you can obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) at pharmacies, health care clinics and IPPF-affiliated programs. No prescription is needed and there are no age restrictions. You can expect most pharmacies to be open between 09:30-17:30 on weekdays and from 09:30-12:00 or 09:30-14:00 on Saturdays. Some pharmacies are open 24-hours; you can find a list of them here. Some pills you can expect to see are ellaOne, which is the longest-lasting EC is currently ellaOne. It lasts up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. You also may find Levonelle 1500 or NorLevo 1.5mg. You may also find Postinor For updated instructions on how to take these pills, click here.
• You can also use an intrauterine device (IUD) as a form of emergency contraception. Contact a licensed health care provider in Denmark to learn more details.
• If you can't access dedicated emergency contraception, you can use regular birth control pills are replacement ECPs. To do this, you can take take brands like Microluton, Microval, Dystrol, Neogentrol, Neogynon, Nordiol, Gynatrol, Microgyn or Nordette. For updated instructions on how to take these pills, click here.

Costs

The cost of ECPs are not covered by Danish social security and will not be reimbursed. For LNG type of emergency contraceptive pills (like Levonelle 1500, NorLevo and Postinor), you can expect to pay around € 12.45. For UPA type of emergency contraceptive pills (like ellaOne), you can expect to pay around € 23.36, as of 2015.

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 or visit the "Medications" section below. 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 Denmark, there are no legal restrictions related to people with HIV/AIDS. This means that, if you're not Danish, you can legally visit the country, regardless of your HIV status. You will not be asked for your medical records or information about your HIV status upon entry into the country. Furthermore, you can apply for residency, regardless of HIV status, and if you're a foreigner who is found to be HIV positive, you will not be penalized or deported based on your HIV status.

Support

• In Denmark, there are some treatment centers that specialize in HIV/AIDS, including the following: Rigshospital Copenhagen, Hospital Hvidovre, Universitetshospital Odense, Marselisborghospital Århus and Ålborg Sygehus.
• HIV Danmark: "Hiv-Danmark is a national organisation for all people living with HIV (PLHIV), and those affected by HIV, living in Denmark, irrespective of method of infection, gender, sexuality or nationality." Address: Hiv-Danmark, Vestergade 18E, 4th floor, DK-1456 Copenhagen V. Denmark. Phone: +45 33 32 58 68 (weekly 11 am-3 pm). Email: info@hiv-danmark.dk

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can access Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in Denmark. It should be available free of charge after sexual contact. If you believe you have been potentially infected with HIV after sexual exposure, contact a local health care provider to learn how you can access PEP in Denmark.
• You can access the HPV vaccine in Denmark. There has been a nationwide HPV vaccination program since 2009, which targets 12 year old girls. The brand of HPV vaccine used in Norway is called Cervarix. It's injected in the upper arm. For girls under 15 years old, they will receive two doses of the vaccine. For girls over 15 years old, they will receive three doses of the vaccine.

Costs

• For young girls (ages 12-18), they can receive a free HPV vaccine from the Danish Health Authority.

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

• You can find pads/pantyliners in supermarkets, health stores and pharmacies.
• You can find tampons in supermarkets, health stores and pharmacies.
• You can find a variety of menstrual cups in Denmark, either in physical stores or online. First, there are some menstrual cup brands from Denmark. For example, there's the Danish-made BetulaCup, which can be purchased online for 179 DKK, as of January 2018, and comes in three different styles (Classic, Folder and Young). There's Organicup, which is headquartered in Denmark and is sold by a variety of online retailers. There's also FemaleCup, which was launched in Copenhagen in 2010. It costs 41 euros, as of January 2018, and comes in two sizes. Aside from local brands, there are many international brands as well. For example, you may be able to buy RubyCup at EcoEgo (Address: Nørre Farimagsgade 82, 1364 Copenhagen), and you may be able to buy Lunette at Kopperiet Mette Kim Witten (Address: Lindelyvej 1, Fredensborg 3480) or Sugar for Your Skin and Soul (Address: Vordingborggade 2C, København Ø 2100). You can also buy international menstrual cup brands online. For example, you can also buy LadyCup, an international menstrual cup brand, from its Danish store, and you may be able to find menstrual cups on Worldcare, an online retailer that provides services to Denmark.

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 Denmark, abortion is fully legal during the first trimester (first twelve weeks) of pregnancy. However, if the pregnant person is a minor, then parental consent is required. Furthermore, abortion is legal during the second trimester (after twelve weeks of pregnancy) in the following circumstances: when the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman, when the pregnancy endangers the physical or mental health of the woman, when there is risk of fetal malformation, when the woman is incapable of taking care of the child due to a physical disorder, mental disorder or youth/immaturity, when the pregnancy, childbirth or childcare constitutes a serious burden to the woman, or when the pregnancy was caused by a crime (like rape or incest).

Danish abortion law is based on Law No. 350 of 13 June 1973. The full text can be read here.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Foreningen Sex & Samfund: Skindergade 28 1. sal, Copenhagen K 1159, Denmark. Tel: +45(33) 931 010 . Fax: +45(33) 931 009

Advocacy & Counseling

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Emergency Hospital Phone Number: Dial 112

List of Additional Resources

• Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Denmark.