Tbilisi

Georgia / Tbilisi

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 Georgia, you can buy birth control pills over-the-counter. No prescription is needed.

According to a 2015 UN report, it was found that 51.8% of Georgia women (who are of reproductive age and married or in unions) use some form of contraception, including both modern and traditional methods, and 16.8% of women have unmet family planning needs. The most common forms of contraception were condoms (14.4%), IUDs (13.2%), withdrawal/pull-out method (9%) and the rhythm method (6%). Generally speaking, birth control pills were less popular, as they were only used by 4.3% of the surveyed women. There were also comparatively low rates of usage of female sterilization (3.1%), vaginal barrier methods (1.6%), contraceptive injectables (0.1%) and male sterilization (0.1%). There was found to be practically no usage of contraceptive implants (0.0%) at that time.

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 Georgia, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Georgia, you can obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is needed. To access ECPs, you will need to request them for purchase at a pharmacy since they are not on the shelves. You can expect to see anti-progestin pills, like Dvella, and progestin-only pills, like Escapelle and Postinor. For updated instructions on how to use the pills, you can visit the Princeton EC Website.
• If you cannot access dedicated ECPs, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement ECPs. However, if you do this, remember that in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used. Some of the pills you can use are Ovral (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later), Microgynon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later) and Rigevidon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later). For updated instructions on how to use the pills, you can visit the Princeton EC Website.
• You can also get an intra-urine device (IUD) to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. However, this requires a special insertion procedure, so will probably take more time to obtain than finding dedicated ECPs at a pharmacy.

Costs

In 2010, you could expect to pay around € 5.40 for LNG-type of emergency contraceptive pills, like Postinor or Escapelle. Emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are not reimbursed or covered by social security.

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.