Haiti

OVERVIEW
In Haiti, women face significant challenges in accessing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health. The country struggles with having the reputation as the poorest country in Western hemisphere and its turmoils have been compounded by disastrous earthquakes and hurricanes in recent years. This has left the country in need of international aid and a devastating lack of resources. This has obviously had a dramatic effect on sexual, reproductive and women's health care needs throughout the country. Though Port-au-Prince has more civil resources available than many of the countries more rural areas, there is still undoubtedly a lot of improvement to be made in these areas. Some of the issues include the lack of availability of contraception, overpriced feminine hygiene products, lack of proper medical facilities, unaffordable and outdated hospitals, a high rate of HIV infection and an alarming rate of sexual abuse against women. Additionally, abortion is completely illegal and there is little help from government organizations to curb the STI infection rate and lack of education on family planning. Historically, women's rights are not a high priority for the Haitian government. As of 2016, not a single woman holds a seat in the senate of Haiti.

Contraception (Birth Control)

Condoms for sale in Port-au-Prince

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

Despite the fact that Haiti has a long history with oral contraceptives, the country has a staggeringly low rate of 37.8% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 report using any kind of contraception at all. This is the lowest rate of any Caribbean country. An overwhelming majority of women that do use birth control opt for the contraceptive injection. There have been multiple campaigns with mixed results to raise awareness for the use of contraceptives. Many women are raised in a conservative Christian families and don't want to admit that they are having premarital sex, so discussions about birth control are not likely to be widely discussed by most Haitians, especially amongst the youth.

Costs

KORE, loosely translated, means "I've got your back" in Haitian Creole, is a brand of condom that became available in Haiti in 2013. The company aimed to provide a widely available and much more affordable condom for the people of Haiti.

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

The following is a list of available oral Contraceptives used for emergency contraception (Progestin Only)

	Take 40 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex:
	Ovrette
	Take 50 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex:
	Microval

Oral Contraceptives used for EC / Progestin-Estrogen Combined Note: in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used

	Take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later:
	Eugynon
	Neogynon
	Nordiol
	Ovral
	Take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later:
	Lo-Femenal
	Minigynon 30
	Nordette

Costs

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.

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.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Support

If someone you know is incarcerated in Port-au-Prince or elsewhere in Haiti and has contracted or is at risk of contracting HIV, the Aids Healthcare Foundation can help. They provide testing and medicine for those in need. Visit their website for more information.

Costs

Many clinics run by NGOs offer free STI/STD screening.

What to Get & Where to Get It

"Fluconazole" is the name of the active ingredient in yeast infection medication. Make sure this is listed under active ingredients to ensure that you are buying an effective medication. PReP is not available to buy in Haiti. As far as HPV vaccinations go, Haiti has a "Pilot Program", which means it is available but not readily accessible to everyone. Click here to be redirected to a list of 11 pharmacies in Port-au-Prince and their Facebook pages.
Hôpital Immaculée Conception has a steady supply of antiretroviral HIV medication.

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

"Kotex" is the most common brand of disposable pads available in Port-au-Prince.

"Kotex" is the most common brand of disposable pads available in Port-au-Prince.

• Women's Hygiene Kits - Haiti: Visit the site for details.
• DivaCup Partnership in Haiti
• Helping Haiti Work: This nonprofit has expressed interest in providing disposable pads to Haitian women, but we're not sure about the current status of their work

• Women's Hygiene Kits - Haiti: Visit the site for details.
• DivaCup Partnership in Haiti
• Helping Haiti Work: This nonprofit has expressed interest in providing disposable pads to Haitian women, but we're not sure about the current status of their work

Gynecological Exams

Laws & Social Stigmas

All women in Haiti are legally entitled to 6 weeks of maternity leave with 100% of their average pay to be compensated by their employer. However, the reality of the situation can be much different and many women find that they are not in a position to receive this aid. In Haiti, there are only 201 nurse-midwives for a population of 10 million. NGO Midwives for Haiti are trying to fill this gap with much needed help to improve mother and child survival. As of 2013, For every 100,000 babies born in Haiti, 630 women die of pregnancy-related causes.

Costs

The cost for a stay in a Public hospital in Port-au-Prince can cost less than 1 USD a day. However, the patient is accountable to pay for all other expenses, such as syringes, medicine, transportation etc. Because of this, the price of giving birth in a public hospital is out of the question for most people since about 60% of Haiti lives beneath the poverty line.

• An option available for women in need of medical care regarding their pregnancy is provided by the organization Médecins Sans Frontièreshas at least one location in Port-au-Prince that offers prenatal care for women with pressing health complications regarding their pregnancy. Unfortunately, their facilities are often overwhelmed with too many patients seeking aid and only have room for very few of them. However, these facilities do their best not to reject any woman in labor, regardless of their health status.
  
• Pran Men’m - Located in the Delmas 33 neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, MSF’s 148-bed Centre de Référence des Urgences en Obstétrique (CRUO)
  
• Many women, if they can afford it, choose to fly to Jimani in the Dominican Republic to give birth where healthcare is more widely accessible.
• UNFPA: Address: LOCAL MINUSTAH, Log Base - Zone 5, Boulevard Toussaint Louverture and Clercine 18, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Email address: Office@unfpahaiti.org, Work timetable: Monday - Thursday 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Friday 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM
  Telephones: 509 2815-6000, 509 2813-0415.

Costs

The cost for a stay in a Public hospital in Port-au-Prince can cost less than 1 USD a day. However, the patient is accountable to pay for all other expenses, such as syringes, medicine, transportation etc. Because of this, the price of giving birth in a public hospital is out of the question for most people since about 60% of Haiti lives beneath the poverty line.

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

Haiti has some of the strictest laws regarding abortion in the world. There are no grounds in which abortions are legally permitted with the rare exception that it be necessary to save the mother's life, but even that is not guaranteed by law. Women often turn to highly unsafe and illegal underground abortion options. In large part, this is also due to the fact the contraception itself is not widely accepted, available or properly used. Despite the fact that it is illegal, abortion is common in Haiti. The number of post-abortion deaths in Haiti is unknown, but physicians say post-abortion complications are a leading cause of maternal death, with the health ministry estimating it could possibly account for as many as 30 percent of them.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Haiti has some of the strictest laws regarding abortion in the world. There are no grounds in which abortions are legally permitted. with the rare exception that it be necessary to save the mother's life, but even that is not guaranteed by law. Women often turn to highly unsafe and illegal underground abortion options. In large part, this is also due to the fact the contraception itself is not widely accepted, available or properly used. Despite the fact that it is illegal, abortion is common in Haiti. The number of post-abortion deaths in Haiti is unknown, but physicians say post-abortion complications are a leading cause of maternal death, with the health ministry estimating it could possibly account for as many as 30 percent of them.

Costs

N/A

Advocacy & Counseling

Laws & Social Stigmas

Line outside the Doctor Without Borders Clinic in Port-au-Prince

Rape and all other sexual assault goes largely unreported throughout Haiti due to the fact that many victims are subject to victim blaming by their communities. Many women also don't report such incidents due to fear of potential reprisals from their attackers. Haiti has a long history of of enforcing minor penalties for those convicted of rape and sexual assault, but this trend has been slowly changing since new legislation was passed in 2005. The new law now holds the attackers more accountable for their crime as well as guaranteeing free health coverage for sexual assault victims. The legal procedure for reporting a sexual assault to police is convoluted and difficult, further diminishing the number of reports made. Critics of Haitian police have called their response to reported rapes inadequate.

Costs

The Pran Men’m clinic offers most of its services free of charge.