Belgrade

Serbia / Belgrade

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 Serbia, you can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) without a prescription.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Some birth control pills that you can expect to find in Serbia are Neogynon, Stediril, Stediril-d and Microgynon-30.

Costs

Serbian health insurance covers about 20% (or more) of birth control costs, according to a Belgrade local (May 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.

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

Some locals report that there's significant stigma around HIV tests. It's common for locals to feel like they don't want to get tested or to feel like they don't need to be tested.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In December, there are free HIV tests in Serbia for HIV awareness month.

Medications & Vaccines

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

• Most Serbian women use pads and pantyliners. These are the easiest to find in Belgrade of all menstrual options.
• While you can find tampons, they do not appear to be commonly used.
• There are no known local menstrual cup sellers in Serbia, but you can buy menstrual cups online.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• "As for women's clinic, I've heard lots of praises about the public clinic Narodni front but lately I've heard some bad impressions as well." - Belgrade local
• "As for private clinics, I would personally recommended Roncevic clinic, they offer a full package of exams for about 35 euros and their doctors are nice and great experts." - Belgrade local

Pregnancy

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.

Advocacy & Counseling

List of Additional Resources

• Kontracepcija - sve što jeste i niste znali: This Facebook provides educational information for women in Serbia about contraception.