Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia / Ulaanbaatar

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. It is recommended that you consult with a health practitioner to determine the best contraceptive choice for you. If you want to find which hormonal contraceptives are available by brand, manufacturer or country, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Mongolia, you can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control) without a prescription at pharmacies.

In 2015, around 58% of Mongolian women (who were married/in unions and of reproductive) used some form of birth control, including traditional methods. This rate of usage was noticeably lower than the Eastern Asian average (approximately 82%), and around 14% of Mongolian women had unmet family planning needs. The most common forms of contraception were found to be IUDs (23%) and birth control pills (13%). This was followed by male condoms (7%), the rhythm method (6%), and contraceptive injectables (5%). Finally, there were very low rates of usage for female sterilization (3%), male sterilization (0.4%), contraceptive implants (0.3%), and vaginal barrier methods (0.1%).

In Mongolia, some NGOs are working to help train local workers. According to Marie Stopes Mongolia, "The team are working with the Mongolian government and partner clinics to train doctors and nurses in administering medical abortion and fitting IUDs and implants. By looking beyond the simple delivery of services, Marie Stopes Mongolia has been able to expand access to long-term contraception and medical abortion for thousands more women. We have also been able to improve the quality of care they get, ensuring that it is more centred on their needs."

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can access condoms in Mongolia, especially Trust and Mungulung brands, which are brands produced by Marie Stopes Mongolia. According to the Marie Stopes Mongolia website, "Despite the country’s logistical challenges, our condom brands ‘Trust’ and ‘Mungulug’ are available nearly everywhere in Mongolia. They’re distributed in a range of places including markets, pharmacies, hotels, and even taxis, and they’re an affordable option for many poor and young Mongolians. We specifically market our ‘Trust’ condom brand to young Mongolians, who are particularly at risk of STIs. Through advertising, packaging and making the brand accessible via youth-friendly channels, we’re working to ensure young people in Mongolia can have safe and healthy sex."
• You can potentially access contraceptive pills (birth control pills) at the Marie Stopes Mongolia support office. They also distribute condoms and emergency contraception. Address: Marie Stopes International Clinics & Contraceptives (MSICC), 3rd Microdistrict, 14th khoroo, L. Enebish Avenue 11/1, Bayangol District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Phone: +976 11 7711 6194

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 to prevent pregnancy. 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) For combined pills, 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 Mongolia, you can legally obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) with a prescription.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Mongolia, you can legally obtain emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) with a prescription at pharmacies, clinics, social marketing programs (such as PSI, DKT, etc), and at programs affiliated with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
• Aside from pharmacies, you can also consider obtaining emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pill) from the Marie Stopes Mongolia support office. They also distribute condoms and birth control pills. Address: Marie Stopes International Clinics & Contraceptives (MSICC), 3rd Microdistrict, 14th khoroo, L. Enebish Avenue 11/1, Bayangol District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Phone: +976 11 7711 6194

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

In Mongolia, there are no travel or residency restrictions related to HIV status. This means that, if you're a foreigner who is HIV-positive, you can visit Mongolia, and you will not be asked for a medical certificate or proof of your HIV status. Furthermore, if you apply for a visa or long-term residency in Mongolia, you will not be asked about your HIV status. While Mongolia did have restrictions related to HIV-positive foreigners in the past, these restrictions were lifted in 2013.

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 Mongolia. You may want to contact a local clinic or physician for details. Also, if you know how to get UTI treatment in Mongolia, please update this section.
• In Mongolia, there is a nationwide HPV vaccination pilot program. It is also estimated that about 30% of women (ages 15-49) in Mongolia 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 Mongolia, 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

• Regarding menstrual cups, there is a Menstrual Cup in Mongolia Facebook page. We're still gathering information from them on what they provide.

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Mongolia, abortion is fully permitted and available upon request during the first three months of pregnancy. This means that, during this time, all reasons for abortion are permitted, including: to save the life of the pregnant person, to preserve physical health, to preserve mental health, if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, if there is risk of fetal impairment, economic or social reasons, or if the pregnant person simply requests an abortion. After three months of pregnancy, an abortion is permitted if the pregnant person is suffering from an illness that threatens the health of the mother or fetus, if the woman is under sixteen years old or over forty-five years old (and she requests an abortion), if the pregnancy is due to rape or incest, or if the pregnant person suffers from a mental disorder. In these cases, the approval of a family member or spouse is required. According to Article 36, Health Law of Mongolia (1998), an abortion should "be performed only in the facilities that meet the requirements and be performed by medical doctors who have been certified" and "the regulations related to abortion in article 36.1 should be approved by the central government administrative body in charge of health issues."

Advocacy & Counseling

What to Get & Where to Get It

• National Center Against Violence, Mongolia: "The National Center against Violence (NCAV) is a non-profit, non-partisan and non-governmental organization established in 1995 with the goal of combating domestic and sexual violence against women and children in Mongolia." Address: #03, 06, Building-40, 6th Khoroo, Baga Toiruu, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Phone/Fax: 976-70119949 Counseling Hotline: 976-96490505. E-mail: mongolcav@mongol.net

List of Additional Resources

• Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Mongolia. As of May 2018, homosexuality is legal in Mongolia, and there are laws to protect LGBTQ people from housing and employment discrimination. Same sex marriage is not recognized. The laws around gender change are ambiguous (i.e. it is not clearly legal or illegal). However, it is important to note that homosexuality was illegal and technically punishable by imprisonment in Mongolia until 2002.
• Women's Fund Mongolia (Mones): "MONES was established in 2000 with the purpose of contributing to: Increasing participation of women in decision-making levels; Creating an enabling environment for women to carry out social change projects and implement their ideas; Development of Mongolian women’s movement; Fostering networking and collaboration with women’s movement around the world; Creating a society respectful of human rights, equality and social justice." Address: Mongolian Womens Fund, Sukhbaatar District, Baga Toiruu, 6th khoroo, 48th Building, Room #305, Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia. Phone: 7711 9991. Email: info@mones.org.mn
• The International Women's Association of Mongolia (IWAM): "The International Women's Association of Mongolia (IWAM) is a non-profit NGO run by its volunteer members, whose aim is to promote better understanding between women from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds; to familiarize foreign members with the culture, history, economy, and social setting of Mongolia and other member countries; and to organize and support activities that focus on helping vulnerable families, especially women and children." Postal Address: International Women's Association of Mongolia, PO Box 993, Central Post Office, Ulaanbaatar 211213, Mongolia. Email - General enquiries: iwamboard@gmail.com
• MONFEMNET National Network: "MONFEMNET is a non-profit, non-partisan and non-governmental organization, with a mission to serve as a strong driving force for the development of a national, broad-based, democratic, sustainable and transformative movement for women’s human rights, gender equality, substantive democracy and social justice. MONFEMNET is based in Mongolia." Address: 18-1, 14-2, 4th Sub District, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar 00976, Mongolia. Phone: (976) 7011-0355. Email: info@monfemnet.org
• National Center Against Violence, Mongolia: "The National Center against Violence (NCAV) is a non-profit, non-partisan and non-governmental organization established in 1995 with the goal of combating domestic and sexual violence against women and children in Mongolia." Address: #03, 06, Building-40, 6th Khoroo, Baga Toiruu, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Phone/Fax: 976-70119949 Counseling Hotline: 976-96490505. E-mail: mongolcav@mongol.net