Buenos Aires

Argentina / Pampas / Buenos Aires

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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can buy condoms at pharmacies for AR$10-$30 (three-pack) or up to AR$67 (12-pack).
• If you would like to get birth control pills ("pastillas anticonceptivas" in Spanish), they can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription. Farmacity is a popular pharmacy chain. Some brands you can expect to see are Ovrette, Microlut, Microval, Duoluton, Eugynon, Neogynon, Nordiol, Ovral, Microgynon, Microvlar, Nordette, Miranova. You can expect to pay between AR$30-$120.
• If you're interested in the ring (like Nuvaring), you can get it at Farmacity for AR$240.
• If you want an IUD, you can get the IUD insertion at a hospital or health center. While you can get it done at a public hospital, you'll find that only non-hormonal IUDs are available. The last for 10 years. if you want the hormonal IUDs, which last for 5 years, you'll need to go to a private hospital.
  • Recommendation: "Dr. Claudia María Battista is a gynecologist based in Recoleta (3rd floor, Arenales 1611, 4811 6127) who can administer both hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs, after a medical consultation. The best option for each patient and the price of the IUD must be discussed with the doctor, and Dr. Battista speaks English, if your Spanish is not up to par to discuss your reproductive system."
• If you want a birth control shot ("inyección" in Spanish), you can probably get it for free at public hospitals and health centers, like Hospital General de Agudos A. Zubizarreta or Hospital General de Agudos B. Rivadavia. If you would like to get it Farmacity, you can get it for around AR$40. Remember that you need to get injections on the same day every month. Since some pharmacies in Buenos Aires don't carry the shot, you should confirm a stable place to get a weekly injection before you commit to shots.
• If you want the implant ("implante" or "anticonceptivo subcutáneo" in Spanish), this has been available in Argentina since 2012.
• If you're interested in the patch ("parche" in Spanish), you can get it a pharmacies, like Farmacity. It's not covered by the public health system, so expect to pay around AR$150-$200.

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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

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.

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.