Harare

Zimbabwe / Harare

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 Zimbabwe, you need a prescription to purchase birth control pills and most other forms of contraception at pharmacies. If you're a minor, you should be able to purchase birth control at pharmacies, provided that you have a prescription.

Contraception is widely used in Zimbabwe and, in fact, Zimbabwean women have higher rates of contraceptive usage than nearly all other African countries, with the exception of Morocco and the island nations of Mauritius and Réunion. In Eastern Africa, Zimbabwe has the highest rate of contraceptive usage overall. However, it should be understood that not all Zimbabwean women have adequate access to contraceptives, and 11.4% of Zimbabwean women still have unmet family planning needs.

For Zimbabwean women, the vast majority who use contraceptives tend to use birth control pills. According to a 2015 report, the most common forms of contraception for Zimbabwean women (who are married and of reproductive age) are birth control pills (42.8%), contraceptive injectables (8.8%) and contraceptive implants (8.2%). There are generally low rates of usage of condoms (3.2%), female sterilization (0.9%), IUDs (0.4%) and vaginal barrier methods (0.2%). The traditional family planning methods, such as withdrawal (0.6%) and rhythm method (0.2%), are extremely uncommon.

There are some articles online that claim that Zimbabweans have some of the highest condom usage rates in the world. Generally speaking, this is not true. However, for some groups in Zimbabwe, condom usage is rather high. This is because non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe have successfully distributed condoms to many people who are considered "high-risk" for HIV transmission, and in this population, it was found that 44.3% had used condoms in their most recent sexual encounter. Thus, we can generally state that, while condoms are not a popular contraceptive choice for married women in Zimbabwe, they are commonly used by many other people in the country.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Zimbabwe, condoms are sold by local shops and street vendors, government initiatives and social networking programs (such as Marie Stopes International, Population Services International and DKT International). They are also sold in front of clubs and beer halls in cities, such as Harare. The vendors who sell condoms at night report that many people feel more comfortable buying condoms from them than from the local shops, which can feel more public and exposed. Some night club bathrooms also have free condoms, which come in blue colors. Finally, while it's a more expensive option, condoms can also be purchased online and delivered to a Zimbabwe address. For example, you can buy Durex condoms from the Care to Beauty website.
• In Zimbabwe, you can find birth control pills at pharmacies, clinics and social networking programs (such as Marie Stopes International, Population Services International and DKT International). You need a prescription to access birth control pills. Some of the birth control brands you may find in Zimbabwe are brands called Safe or Control, which are distributed by local NGOs and sold at pharmacies and health centers. You may also find Microgynon (which is not sold in most pharmacies, but is certainly sold in some, such as Booties Pharmacy), Ovidon, Ovral, Lo-Femenal, Nordette and Rigevidon. One Harare pharmacy reported carrying pills called 'Control' and 'Secure,' which sold for about $1 per packs of two.

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 Zimbabwe, emergency contraceptive pills (also known as the morning after pill) are available at pharmacies, clinics and social marketing programs. However, they do require a prescription. We are not sure if this prescription is actually enforced by most pharmacists (we're still investigating). At both public and private clinics, nurses are the lowest cadre of health workers who are allowed to sell or dispense ECPs.

While some women in Zimbabwe understand how to use ECPs, many do not. According to a 2010 report, it was found that 19.6% of Zimbabwean women had knowledge of ECPs.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Zimbabwe, you can access dedicated emergency contraception pills (also known as the morning after pill) with a prescription. You can find them in pharmacies, public sector clinics, private clinics and social marketing programs (such as Population Services International, Marie Stopes International, DKT International, etc). Some brands you can expect to see are Postinor-2, which is produced by a Hungarian company and distributed internationally, or Pregnon, which is produced by an Indian company and distributed internationally. For these brands, you can take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. You may also find Revoke 1.5 and Revoke 72, which are ECPs produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company and generally distributed to various African countries.
• If you cannot access dedicated emergency contraceptive pills in Zimbabwe, you have other options. You can use regular birth control pills as replacement ECPs. To do this with progestin-only pills, you can take Ovrette (take 40 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex) or Microval (take 50 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex). To do this with combined progestin-estrogen pills, you must remember that, in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used. You can take Ovidon (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later) or Ovral (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later). Alternatively, you can also take Lo-Femenal (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later), Nordette (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later) or Rigevidon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later).
• If you cannot access dedicated emergency contraception pills, you can also get an IUD, which can act as emergency contraception. Please refer to the "Contraception (Birth Control)" section for more information on IUD access in Zimbabwe.

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

There are no travel or residency restrictions related to Zimbabwe. This means that, if you're a foreigner and you travel to Zimbabwe, you will not be asked for a medical certificate or proof of your HIV status. Furthermore, if you are a foreigner and decide to become a legal resident of Zimbabwe, you will not be asked for information related to your HIV status.

Generally speaking, Zimbabwe is considered to have a "high prevalence" of HIV. In 2016, it was estimated that 13.5% of the population was living with HIV/AIDS and that 74% of infected adults were on antiretroviral treatment. The most common form of transmission was unprotected heterosexual sex. However, certain populations experienced higher rates of infections, including sex workers (57.1% infection rate), men who have sex with men (also known as "MSM") and prisoners (28% infection rate). When sex workers or MSM have sought out treatment or care for HIV in Zimbabwe, especially when they have developed efforts specifically to serve their communities, they have often encountered barriers, including intimidation, arrests and condom confiscation from police. Sex work and homosexuality are illegal in Zimbabwe, and police often respond with intimidation and arrests.

For women in Zimbabwe, STI prevention can be difficult, who often encounter gender inequality in marriages in relationships. For example, only 68% of Zimbabwean men believe that women have the right to refuse intercourse if they know the man is having sex with other women. Furthermore, only 8 out of 10 Zimbabwean women believe that they have the right to ask their partner to use a condom if the partner has a sexually-transmitted disease.

In Zimbabwe, HIV transmission rates have been dropping -- for example, 79,000 people contracted HIV in 2010 compared to 40,000 in 2016. Furthermore, the number of people who have died due to AIDS-related illness has also declined in recent years. However, HIV/AIDS remains a serious issue for the country. Currently, the majority of HIV expenditures in the country (an estimated 75%) comes from international donors.

Support

• National AIDS Control Programme: Address: P.O. Box 041122, Harare. Phone: 2634 – 792981
• AIDS Counselling Trust: P.O. Box 7225, Harare, Phone: 2634 – 792 340

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.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Well Woman Clinic: Recommended by a Harare local. The practitioners have been trained in a variety of countries, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Germany and teh USA. "General practitioners, with a specific interest in woman’s health, will see patients for the whole range of women’s health problems including Pap Smears, HRT, Osteoporosis etc." 18 East Road, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. Tel: (+263) 4 796 492/3/4/6. Fax: (+263) 4 704 200. Email: wellwoman@zol.co.zw
• Dr Djordjevic: Address: 11 Dunkirk Drive, Alexandra Park, Harare. +263 77 701 9485

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 Zimbabwe, abortion is only permitted in certain cases, which are the following: if the pregnancy endangers the life or physical health of the woman, if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if the fetus has a serious risk of impairment. In all other cases, abortion is illegal. In order for an abortion to be legal, it must be performed in specific institutions that are designated for abortions. Furthermore, the superintendent of the institution must approve of the abortion.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• While abortion is only legal for very special cases in Zimbabwe, it's been reported that Misoprostol (one part of the abortion pill) is available in pharmacies under the name Cytotec "and another brand for Post Partum heamoorage.".
• If you would like to seek out abortion in another country, you can go to South Africa, where it is fully legal for all people, regardless of reason, during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.