Vientiane

Laos / Central Laos / Vientiane

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 Laos, you can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) over-the-counter. No prescription is required. According to 2015 report, it was found that 53.6% of Laotian women (who are married/in unions and of reproductive age) use any form of contraception. The most common methods were birth control pills (23.2%), injectables (14.9%), female sterilization (5%) and the rhythm method (4.8%). There were very low rates of usage of IUDs (1.8%), condoms (1.25) and implants (0.1%).

Historically, Laos has experienced periods of both rejecting and embracing family planning. In 1969, the International Planned Parenthood Foundation teamed up with the United States Agency for International Development to develop family planning programs. It was under these efforts that the child‐care and maternity wing of Mohosot Hospital, based in Vientiane, was developed. The hospital performed some vasectomies and tubal litigation procedures.

However, in 1976, the Laotian government officially banned birth control. There may have been a few reasons for this ban. First, after the decades long Laotian Civil War (1953-1975), the government wanted to build up its population with a new generation of Laotians. Furthermore, the family planning policies of the past were associated with American involvement in Laos, which the government wished to distance itself from. During this period, birth control pills disappeared from the shelves and any remaining supplies were treating as contraband.

By the late 1980s, birth control was accessible again, and since the 1990s, the Ministry of Health has advocated for birth control and family planning. The Ministry has typically advised women to space out births every two to three years. Since 2012, the the rate of married women using contraception has increased by 0.9% per annum. In 2017, Laos held its first First National Conference on Family Planning, organized by the Ministry of Health and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Yet these changes have primarily affected the lives of Laotian urban women, who have adopted family planning methods in larger numbers. For rural women, however, contraceptive use remained low into the 1990s, and in areas that were far from provincial capitals or the Thai border, contraceptive usage was "virtually nonexistent," according to one source. As women in rural areas come from a wide range of tribal and ethnic backgrounds, and they speak many different languages, it has been crucial that the women receive locally-tailored resources. Most recently, the Laotian government has begun to make inroads in rural communities due to the work of Community-based distribution (CBD) workers, who are educating their local communities and distributing free contraceptives. The CBD workers have received training from the Laotian government and UNFPA. One of the main issues is that the majority of the CBD workers are male (not female). To read more about CBD workers in Laos, click here.

Today, over half of Laotian women use some form of birth control. Some unmarried women report feeling shamed by judgmental health care providers, yet others report that they can easily purchase contraceptives at their local pharmacy.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Vientiane, you can find condoms in many stores and minimarts.
• You can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) at pharmacies. No prescription is required. Some of the brands you can expect to see are Anna and Preme, which are both produced by Thai Nakorn Patana (a Thai pharmaceutical company). Some locals have warned against purchasing medications from China or Vietnam, since they may be lower-quality or unreliable.
  • One local health care professional says (June 2017): "OC pills are widely available in most pharmacies and from public and private hospitals, even in rural areas. The brands will vary and providers may not stock consistent problems [sic: brands]. This can be an issue because it means that women may not always be able to find the brand that they are used to, especially in areas where the outlet may be bringing the drugs in from Thailand, Vietnam, China, etc. A lot of providers just drive over the border to buy their stocks."
• If you want an IUD, you'll be able to find copper-T IUDs in Laos. You can get them at public hospitals in Vientiane, such as Ban Home Health Center, Chanthabouly District hospital, etc. You can also get an IUD at private hospitals/clinics, such as Alliance, LaoViet and the French Clinic. For a full list of hospitals, visit the "Gynecological Exams" section.
• According to locals, you should be able to find contraceptive implants in Laos, but we need more details.
• According to locals, you should be able to find contraceptive injectables in Laos, but we need more details.
• According to locals, you may be able to find the contraceptive patch in Laos. However, while locals report hearing that it's available, there's no confirmation if anyone can directly report seeing the patch available themselves. We'll need more information.
• The contraceptive ring (such as Nuvaring) is currently not available in Laos, as of July 2017.

IMPORTANT NOTES from Vientiane Health Care Professional (July 2017):

• "The only products registered for use in Laos and widely available are copper-T IUDs, Implants, COC and progestin only pills, Injections, EC pills and condoms. If a provider has anything else, they most likely brought it in illegally from a neighboring country."
• "All contraceptive commodities should be free at public facilities, but they will charge a small fee for the use of consumables (like cotton, betadyne, etc.). This is usually less then 50,00 kip ($6), but it varies by province. Private sector fees will depend on the provider, usually less than $10 I would say."

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 Laos, you can purchase emergency contraception (the morning after pill) without a prescription at pharmacies. While there are no emergency contraception pills (ECPs) that are officially registered in Laos, pills are imported from other countries and sold on pharmacy shelves. This seems to be tacitly approved by the government. The Ministry of Health has approved of pharmacies providing emergency contraception, even if no products are officially registered.

Overall, public understanding of ECPs remains low. According to a 2013 study of 500 young adults in Vientiane City, only 22.4% of respondents had heard of ECPs and only 17.9% knew the proper timeframe for effective usage. Despite these low numbers, the respondents did express generally favorable views of ECPs. In fact, 85% believed that ECPs should be available in Laos and 66.8% said that they would use ECPs, if they ever needed them. Regarding the respondents who said they would not use ECPs, their major concerns were around perceived negative health effects.

According to a health care professional in Laos, there is some stigma around purchasing ECPs: "EC pills are actually pretty widely available from pharmacies and providers. There is not a lot of additional stigma then with the use of regular contraceptives. Generally, stigmas are against unmarried people accessing contraceptives, but this is changing fast in Laos. In some ways, I think providers can have less stigma around EC pills for young people because they are more understanding of an emergency situation (as opposed to a young, unmarried woman having regular sex). This is just my opinion though." (July 2017)

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Laos, you can purchase the emergency contraception (the morning after pill) without a prescription. You may find the Madonna ECP, which is produced by Biolab Co., ltd., a Thai pharmaceutical company. The pill is typically found in Thailand, Laos and Sri Lanka.
• If you can't access dedicated emergency contraception, you can use regular birth control pill as replacement ECP. In Laos, you can do this with at least two brands of pills. If you have FMP, take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later (to prevent unwanted pregnancy). If you have Anna, take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later (to prevent unwanted pregnancy).

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.

Testing Facilities

• French Clinic: This is one of the better places to get an STI test in Laos. They send the samples to labs in Thailand to be tested, and overall, the clinic's STI testing is considered to be on par with Western standards. However, the services will be more expensive and may take more time.
• Mohosot Hospital: This hospital can give you a quicker and faster HIV test (and some other tests) than some other health care providers in Vientiane. While the hospital is not recommended by some expats for more complicated procedures, it's fine for basic tests.

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• "If a woman had a UTI, she might visit a public or private provider, or she may go directly to the pharmacist. Many pharmacists are public providers who have a pharmacy practice on the side; they are often a first stop for people who are sick (especially in rural areas where they may be much closer than a health facility)." - Local Health Care Professional

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Note from Health Care Professional: "Tampons are sold in most modern grocery stores in the city. Most Lao women do prefer pads or cloth. There are a few projects for reusable menstrual pads and hygiene. I’ve never seen the cup for sale myself, and most of my colleagues in the city don’t know about this."

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find tampons in certain markets in larger cities, such as Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Some markets that may carry tampons are M-Point marts, Home Ideal, Simeuang Market (opposite the wat) and Pimphone market.

Gynecological Exams

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