Vienna

Austria / Vienna

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 Austria, you can obtain condoms, spermicide or various sprays without a prescription. However, for most forms of birth control, especially for hormonal or long-lasting methods, such as contraceptive pills or IUDs, you need a prescription. You can get a contraceptive prescription from a gynecologist. Once you do have a prescription, you can obtain contraceptives at a variety of venues, such as from a physician, clinic or pharmacy.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Birth control pills purchased in Austria for 20€ (February 2017)

• If you want to obtain condoms ("kondom" in German), you can find them sold in grocery stores, pharmacies and specialty stores. There is even a condom museum in the city.
• If you want to obtain birth control pills ("antibabypillen" in German), you will need a prescription. If you already have a prescription, you can directly purchase pills at your local pharmacy ("apotheke" in German). If you don't have a prescription yet, you will want to ensure that, ideally, you first have Austrian health insurance. You can then visit an Austrian gynecologist, who will write you a prescription. If you already have a prescription from another country, that gynecologist can review your existing prescription and write an Austrian one as well. However, you should note that it can sometimes take a while to see an Austrian gynecologist, and the wait times for an appointment can be quite lengthy.

Costs

Moniq birth control (one month supply) costs around 20€ (as of February 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.

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.

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.

List of Additional Resources

• Click here to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Austria. Homosexuality is legal, gay marriage is legally recognized (as civil unions), and it is legal to change gender in Austria. Furthermore, there are legal protections against housing and employment discrimination for LGBTQ people, and gay adoption is legal, as of May 2018.