Argentina: Difference between revisions

In Argentina, contraception is legal and widely available. You can purchase birth control pills without a prescription.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> <ref>[http://freethepill.org/where-on-earth/ Free the Pill - Where on Earth? Map]</ref> According to a 2015 study,  61.6% of Argentine women (who are married/in unions and of reproductive age) use any form of contraception, including traditional methods, and 15.3% have unmet family planning needs. The most common forms of contraception birth control pills (27.7%), condoms (17%), IUDs (6.9%) and female sterilization (3.5%). There are especially low rates of usage for contraceptive injectables (2.6%) and traditional methods, such as rhythm (1.1%) and withdrawal (0.5%). Meanwhile, it was found that practically no women were using contraceptive implants (0.0%) or vaginal barrier methods (0.0%).<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref>

 

However, some Argentine women face barriers when they try to access contraception. From a historical perspective, the Argentine government formerly opposed the sale or use of contraceptives and, during the military dictatorship (1976-83), even condoms were illegal. In 2003, the government began to freely distribute contraceptives, such as IUDS, for free, but this did not automatically translate into free choice for all. In fact, in 2005, a Human Rights Watch report detailed "how judges, doctors and health workers prevent women from making independent reproductive decisions in violation of women's internationally recognized human rights." The report also analyzed how the impact of spousal pressure and domestic violence limited women's abilities to choose contraception, and discrimination in many hospitals, such as requiring spousal approval for sterilization procedures, further limited women's autonomy.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/news/2005/06/15/argentina-limits-birth-control-threaten-human-rights Argentina: Limits on Birth Control Threaten Human Rights]</ref>  

* If you don't know which contraceptive method is right for you, you can call the Sexual Health Hotline (Línea de salud sexual): 0800 222 3444. It's free to call them through landlines or public phones throughout Argentina. You can also email the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Buenos Aires (saludreproductiva@buenosaires.gob.ar); they tend to be get back to people within 24 hours. Both services can accommodate Spanish speakers and English speakers.

* Recommendation: "Dr. Claudia María Battista is a gynecologist based in Recoleta (3rd floor, Arenales 1611, 4811 6127) who can administer both hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs, after a medical consultation. The best option for each patient and the price of the IUD must be discussed with the doctor, and Dr. Battista speaks English, if your Spanish is not up to par to discuss your reproductive system."<ref>[http://www.thebubble.com/the-bubbles-guide-to-not-getting-pregnant-in-buenos-aires/ The Bubble’s Guide to Not Getting Pregnant in Buenos Aires]</ref>

 

====Contraceptive Options====

* You can buy '''condoms''' ("preservativos" in Spanish) at pharmacies and supermarkets for $10-30 ARS, but generally around 15 ARS, for a three-pack, or up to $67 ARS for a 12-pack.  

* If you would like to get '''birth control pills''' ("pastillas anticonceptivas" in Spanish), they can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription for about 3$0-120 ARS. [http://www.farmacity.com.ar/ Farmacity] is a popular pharmacy chain. Some brands you can expect to see are Ovrette, Marvelon, Microlut, Microval, Diane-35, Duoluton, Eugynon, Neogynon, Nordiol, Ovral, Microgynon, Microvlar, Nordette, Miranova and others. To see which pills are available in Argentina, check out  [http://contraceptive.ippf.org/search?search.searchtext=&search.component=&search.countrycode=AR IPFF Argentina], [http://www.alfabeta.net/mf/ Alfabeta], [http://ar.kairosweb.com/ Kairos]. Please note that Argentina has strict importation laws, so be careful to NOT bring in any birth control pills that aren't permitted in Argentina.

* If you're interested in the '''contraceptive ring''' (like Nuvaring), you can get it at Farmacity for $240 ARS.

* If you want an '''IUD''', you can get the IUD insertion at a hospital or health center. While you can get it done at a public hospital, you'll find that only non-hormonal IUDs are available. They last for 10 years. If you want the hormonal IUDs, which last for 5 years, you'll need to go to a private hospital. For Mirena, it's about $1700 ARS. The copper IUD (not industria argentina) costs around $500-700 ARS.

* If you want a '''contraceptive control shot/injectable''' ("inyección" in Spanish), it can be purchased at public and private health care facilities. If you have a prescription, you can also get it directly from the pharmacy.<ref>[http://www.thebubble.com/how-to-avoid-pregnancy-scares-in-buenos-aires/ How To Avoid Pregnancy Scares In Buenos Aires]</ref> You may be able to find brands like Cyclofem, Cyclofemina, Dahlia, Depo-Provera, Mesigyna and Perlutal in Argentina. You can probably get the injections for free at public hospitals and health centers, like Hospital General de Agudos A. Zubizarreta or Hospital General de Agudos B. Rivadavia. If you would like to get it at Farmacity, you can get it for around $30 ARS or 40 ARS. Since some pharmacies in Buenos Aires don't carry the shot, you should confirm a stable place to get an injection before you commit to shots.

* If you want the '''contraceptive implant''' ("implante" or "anticonceptivo subcutáneo" in Spanish), this has been available in Argentina since 2012. However, they are not commonly used, so you may need to go to a specialized provider to obtain the insertion procedure.

* If you're interested in the '''contraceptive patch''' ("parche" in Spanish), you can get it a pharmacies, like Farmacity. It's not covered by the public health system, so expect to pay around $150-$200. In 2016, Farmacity quoted the price as $168 ARS.<ref>[http://www.thebubble.com/how-to-avoid-pregnancy-scares-in-buenos-aires/ How To Avoid Pregnancy Scares In Buenos Aires]</ref>

 

* For a list of contraceptive options available in Argentina, click [http://contraceptive.ippf.org/search?search.searchtext=&search.component=&search.countrycode=AR here]. UPDATE: This website is currently down.

* You can potentially purchase the "abortion pill" through [https://www.womenonwaves.org/ Women on Waves]. Check out their website for details. If you can't access the website, it may be blocked in your country.

* In Argentina, there is an abortion hotline for women who have unwanted pregnancies: Tel: (011) 156 664 7070