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 needed.

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 contraceptive injectables (7%), contraceptive implants (4%), and birth control pills (4%), and contraceptive implants (6%). 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.

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.