Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei / Bandar Seri Begawan

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.

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

There are no emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) registered in Brunei.

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

If you are a foreigner who is visiting Brunei for a short-term stay, you may visit the country, regardless of your HIV status, though some precautions apply. While Brunei technically prohibits HIV-positive people from visiting the country, they do not ask for a medical certificate or proof of your HIV status. However, if customs and immigration authorities find evidence of an HIV-positive status (such as carrying antiretroviral treatment), they may not allow the traveling person into the country. We do not know the laws and typical behaviors regarding the scanning of bags and personal items, so we cannot say how comfortable and safe an HIV-positive traveler may feel in Brunei. However, according to HIVTravel, "There are no regulations concerning the import of antiretroviral medication for personal use."

Meanwhile, if you are a foreigner who plans to stay in the country for a longer period, you will need to apply for a residence or student permit. To obtain a permit, you will be required to take two medical exams, first in your origin country, and then a second time when you reach Brunei. In both cases, your medical exams need to include HIV tests. If someone tests positive for HIV when they apply for a residence permit in their home country, their application will be automatically cancelled. If someone tests positive for HIV after they have arrived in Brunei, the Ministry of Health will be informed of their tests results and they will be expelled from the country.

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• If you have a yeast infection, you can go to the pharmacy for medication. You can ask the pharmacist for Fluconazole, which is the type of medication used to treat fungal infections. While they may not specifically have Fluconazole, they may have similar products that you can use.
• If you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), we're not sure what is normal protocol in Brunei. You may want to contact a local clinic or physician for details. Also, if you know how to get UTI treatment in Brunei, please update this section.
• In Brunei, there has been a nationwide HPV vaccination program since 2012. It is also estimated that about 44% of women(ages 15-49) in Brunei have ever been screened for cervical cancer, but we could not find data on the percentage of women who have received the HPV vaccine.
• There is currently no Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PreP) program in Brunei, as of May 2018.

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

• In Brunei, the most common form of menstrual products are pads/pantyliners. You should be able to find them in supermarkets, pharmacies, and online shops. You can also buy organic and reusable pantyliners online from LiveLoveLuna, an online retailer that is based in Singapore and sends products to Asian countries, including Brunei. They specialize in eco-friendly menstrual products.
• While tampons are less common than pads, you can find them sold in Brunei at certain supermarkets, pharmacies, and online stores. For example, you can find tampons sold online at Nasser Pharmacy and Wafi, both which are online retailers that specially provide for the Bahraini market. You can also find organic tampons sold through online vendors, such as iHerb, Desert Cart, and UBuy. If you are interested in sea sponge tampons, you can find them sold on the LiveLoveLuna website.
• You can find menstrual cups sold through online retailers, such as LiveLoveLuna, which is a Singapore-based company that ships products to many Asian countries, including Brunei. They carry menstrual cup brands such as Super Jennie, LENA, Lily Cup, Merula, Lunette, etc), and deliver to Brunei. They also have an article on how to pick your first menstrual cup on their website.
• You can find menstrual underwear sold on the LiveLoveLuna website. They can ship the menstrual underwear to Brunei.
• You can also find alternative menstrual products, such as menstrual cups, sold in Malaysia and Singapore.

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.

List of Additional Resources

• Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Brunei. Please note that, as of May 2018, homosexuality is illegal and, if found to be homosexual, someone may face imprisonment as punishment, according to the Penal Code of Brunei. It is illegal to change your gender as well. There are no legal protections against housing or employment discrimination for LGBTQ people. Conversion therapy is not banned.
• The Council of Women of Brunei Darussalam: "The Council of Women comprises of 13 national women's organizations representing the views and aspirations of all women in Brunei Darussalam with the main objective of improving the status of women in all areas such as education, economy, welfare, culture and social. The Council also strives for gender equality and the promotion of women's roles in national development." Address: 12, Simpang 32-669 Jalan Stadium Negara Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei. Phone: 673 340524. Fax: 673 340525
• UNDP - Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darusssalam: "UNDP coordinates global and national efforts to integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment into poverty reduction, democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, and environment and sustainable development."
•  Brunei News from Feminist Majority: This is the link to Brunei-related news from the Feminist Majority blog.
• Women in Brunei: "A COMPILATION OF RELATED WRITTEN PUBLICATIONS, LITERATURES, STORIES, INTERVIEWS AND EDITORIALS ABOUT WOMEN IN BRUNEI. THIS SITE HAS BEEN CREATED TO SHARE TO THE REST OF THE WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD THE CHANGING ROLE OF WOMEN IN BRUNEI AT THE TURN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM,THE STATUS OF WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND A DISCUSSION ON WHAT DEFINES THE NEW GENERATION OF WOMEN IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM."