Manama

Bahrain / Manama

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

In 2015, around 66% of women in Bahrain (who were married/in unions and of reproductive) used some form of birth control, including traditional methods. This rate of usage was noticeably higher than the Western Asian average (58%), however it was still found that around 11% of women in Bahrain had unmet family planning needs.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• If you want to purchase condoms, you can purchase them without a prescription at pharmacies in Bahrain. They can also be purchased online and delivered to your local address. For example, the Nasser Pharmacy website has over 30 types of Durex, Unity, and Skins condoms for sale, which can be purchased in BHD and shipped to residences in Bahrain.
• You can find oral contraceptives (birth control pills) sold in pharmacies in Bahrain. No prescription is required. Some of the brands you can expect to see are Diane, Graciel, Gynera, Marvelon, Yasmin, and Yaz. You can also order birth control pills online from websites like InhousePharmacy.vu, which carries 16 different types of birth control pills (as of May 2018) and serves many countries, including Bahrain.

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 Bahrain.

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 Bahrain for a short-term stay, you can freely visit the country, regardless of your HIV status. You will not be asked for a medical certificate or proof of your HIV status. However, if you are a foreigner who plans to stay in the country for longer than 30 days, you will need to apply for a residence permit. To obtain the residence permit, you will be required to take medical exams in the country, including an HIV test. If you are found to be HIV-positive during the course of your exams, you will not be granted a residence permit and you will be immediately deported. There are rare exceptions to this case for diplomats, but in the case of nearly all other foreigners, an HIV-positive diagnosis means deportation.

Testing Facilities

• Better2Know: They have clinics in Manama, Bu Ghazal, and Zinj, and they can test for HIV, Herpes, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, HPV, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, Gardnerella, and Trichomonas. You can book an appointment online. "Better2Know are the world’s leading private provider of sexual health testing services. Our service is available in Manama to serve Bahrain. We offer a world class service, from the moment you book, to your sample collection appointment and getting your results, we are with you every step of the way. When you are worried, and cannot talk to anyone else about your sexual health, you can contact us and we will do our best to help you. After you have booked your STI test, if you would like, we can send you login details to your secure patient area. Here you will see details of your appointment (time, date and location), and this is where we will update your results as soon as they are back from the laboratory. All of our testing in Bahrain is private and confidential. If you do test positive we will help you with advice, treatment and referrals. Better2Know follows national guidelines in the event of a positive test."

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 Bahrain. You may want to contact a local clinic or physician for details. Also, if you know how to get UTI treatment in Bahrain, please update this section.
• There is no nationwide HPV vaccination program in Bahrain, as of July 2017. It is estimated that about 43% of women (ages 15-49) had ever been screened for cervical cancer, but there's no data related to how many women have received HPV vaccines.
• There is currently no Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PreP) program in Bahrain, 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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Bahrain, the most common form of menstrual products is pads or pantyliners. While tampons are sold, they are less readily available and less commonly used by women. You can read a 2015 post here, about a foreigner women trying to find tampons in Bahrain. There are some small-scale sellers of alternative menstrual products, like menstrual cups, but they are not common. You can read a blog post here about a local woman in Bahrain who uses a DivaCup (menstrual cup).

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Bahrain, the most common form of menstrual products are pads/pantyliners. You should be able to find them in supermarkets, pharmacies, and online shops.
• While tampons are less common than pads, you can find them sold in Bahrain 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.
• Regarding menstrual cups, you may be able to find DivaCup at Organic Foods & Café in Seef Mall. You can also find menstrual cups sold through online retailers, such as iHerb (which sells DivaCup and Lunette), UBuy (which sells DivaCup, LENA, Blossom, Dutchess, Athena, etc) and Desert Cart (which sells DivaCup and MoonCup).
• You can also find alternative menstrual products, such as menstrual cups, sold in Dubai.

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 Bahrain, abortion is legally permitted and available upon request, according to the Penal Code of 20 March 1976. This means that 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. For an abortion to be legally permitted, a panel of physicians must approve of the abortion. Furthermore, only a licensed physician may perform the abortion. Meanwhile, abortion is only considered unlawful if the pregnant person is unaware of the abortion or receives no counseling, or if the abortion is carried out without the consent of the pregnant person.

While abortion is legal in Bahrain, this does not mean that everyone who wants an abortion receives one through legal channels. In fact, it's reportedly rather common for women in Bahrain to seek out underground abortions or to seek out abortions overseas. This is often due to the social stigma, community pressures, and shame related to abortions and premarital sex. As a result, people may receive abortions from clandestine providers or purchase "abortion pills," which are sometimes pills for gastric ulcers, on the black market. These tactics can be risky, since they are unregulated, and may lead to health issues. Furthermore, the distributors of "abortion pills" and providers of clandestine abortions may not be properly trained or informed regarding medical procedures. Finally, there are also women who seek out abortions overseas, where they can be provided with medical care outside of Bahrain.

For more information:

• Blog post about abortion policy in Bahrain (2015)
• Thread on Expat.com about Abortion in Bahrain

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Bahrain, abortion is legally permitted and available upon request. To get more information about abortion laws, procedures, and services in Bahrain, you can contact Bahrain Family Planning Association (BFPA): Address: Villa 377, Road No.1210, PO Box 20326, Manama. Phone: +97317232 233 or +97317256 622. Fax: +97317244 671

Advocacy & Counseling

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Women's Crisis Care International: "Women's Crisis Care International is the first and only violence crisis response center in the Arabian Gulf. WCCI provides violence crisis response services for victims of domestic and sexual abuse in Bahrain. Call 3844 7588 for 24 hour support in English. You can also visit us at our official partner, American Mission Hospital, in Manama, Saar, or Amwaj. All services are 100% confidential and free of charge. All women are welcome." English helpline: 38447588 .. الخط الساخن العربي: 66710901

List of Additional Resources

•  Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Bahrain. As of May 2018, homosexuality is a grey area (i.e. not clearly legal or illegal) and it is legal to change gender. However, homosexual marriage is illegal, and there are no laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination related to housing or employment. Conversion therapy is also legal in Bahrain, but we don't know to what extent, if any, it is practiced.
• Supreme Council for Women: "The Supreme Council for Women was established on 22nd August 2001 upon Amiri order No. 44 which was amended by the Amiri Orders No. 55 in 2001, No. 2 in 2002, and the Royal Decree No. 36 in 2004... The Supreme Council for Women is to be established and directly affiliated to His Majesty the King. It is considered the reference for all official bodies in regards to women affairs and its headquarters is to be in Riffa."
• Bahrain Women Association: Call: +973 1724 6471. Email: info@bahrainws.org
• Bahrain Business Women Society: "Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society was founded by 16 Bahraini business women." Address: Building: 112, Road: 333, Block: 332, Mahooz, Kingdom of Bahrain. Phone: +973 17721188. Fax: +973 17721116. Email:info@bahrainbusinesswomen.com
• American Women Association: "The American Women’s Association (Bahrain) is a non-profit organization founded to further relations among all women residing in Bahrain and to promote Bahraini and International friendship." Registered 1974 - 2015. No. 19/C/RXW, P.O. Box 26135, Manama, Bahrain. Phone: +973 3888 4924. Email: info@awabahrain.org
• Women's Crisis Care International: "Women's Crisis Care International is the first and only violence crisis response center in the Arabian Gulf. WCCI provides violence crisis response services for victims of domestic and sexual abuse in Bahrain. Call 3844 7588 for 24 hour support in English. You can also visit us at our official partner, American Mission Hospital, in Manama, Saar, or Amwaj. All services are 100% confidential and free of charge. All women are welcome." English helpline: 38447588 .. الخط الساخن العربي: 66710901
• Migrant Workers Protection Society: "Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) was established in 2005 under license 25/C/AC (ج/أج/ ٢٥) from the Ministry of Social Development. Our Mission Statement is to seek to help expatriate workers achieve their basic human rights in accordance with internationally recognized standards." Address: MWPS Office P O Box 5561 Kingdom of Bahrain, Flat 2, Building 647, Road 3625, Block 336 Adliya.Call Office: +973 17827895. Email: mwpsbah2@gmail.com
• Bahrain Human Rights Society: "The Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) is a non-governmental organisation established on May 31, 2001. It has more than 100 registered members and is a leading human rights organisation in the Gulf region. Its objective is to increase awareness of human rights principles and related international conventions by employing legitimate means to imply respect for human rights and freedom for all." Phone: +973 39933654
• Bahrain Center for Human Rights: This organization is headquartered in Denmark but focuses on issues in Bahrain. "The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, registered with the Bahraini Ministry of Labor and Social Services since July 2002. Despite an order by the authorities in November 2004 to close, the BCHR is still functioning after gaining a wide local and international support for its struggle to promote human rights in Bahrain." Phone: 004553893133.