Lahore

Pakistan / Punjab / Lahore

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

Pakistan has a Muslim majority, and the Quran generally considers contraception a harem, or a sin. As such there is pressure on women to continue to produce babies, and abortion and birth control are considered taboo. According to the mufti (Islamic legal expert) from Lahore's oldest Islamic school, this can be interpreted to allow for birth control and condoms to be used during the time period where a mother is breast feeding, roughly two years according to a verse from the Quran. However, overall, family planning is virtually non-existent in Pakistan.

According to one recent study on the acceptability of contraception, Pakistan has the lowest rate of contraception in South Asia.

Every woman has the right to purchase birth control pills for herself, and condoms are legal as well.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Condoms are sold at most superstores and pharmacies, and can be ordered online.

Birth control pills are sold at pharmacies and health centers across Lahore. Commonly found brands include: Ovral, Famila-28, Lo-Femenal, Microgynon-30, Novodol, Yasmin, Desogen, Alesse and Nordette.

Costs

The Pakistani government has subsidized all locally produced contraceptives in Pakistan as of 2017.

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.

Costs

The Pakistani government has subsidized all locally produced contraceptives in Pakistan.

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Current law permits abortion only to save the woman’s life or, early in pregnancy, to provide “necessary treatment”. Because almost all abortions take place illegally and in secret, information about abortion in Pakistan comes largely from studies of women hospitalized for abortion complications. While the evidence is limited, it is clear that postabortion complications account for a substantial proportion of maternal deaths in Pakistan.

Because of the serious social stigma associated with abortion, there are many illegal abortions being performed, especially in rural regions. In 2002, 197,000 women were hospitalized due to illness or death as a result of complications from illegal abortion.