Asunción

Paraguay / Asunción

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 Paraguay, you can obtain contraception (birth control) without a prescription. According to a 2015 report, 77.4% of Paraguayan women (who are of reproductive age and married/in unions) use some form of contraception, including traditional methods. The most common contraceptive methods were birth control pills (17.4%), injectables (16%), male condoms (12.8%) and female sterilization (9.6%). Furthermore, according to WHO data, it ranks in the list of top 10 countries in terms of the prevalence of condom use. Some Paraguayan women do not have adequate access to family planning resources (it was estimated that 6.4% had unmet family planning needs), yet the rate of unmet needs in lower than many of its neighbors.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• For a list of available contraceptives in Paraguay, click here. You will that the pharmaceutical products with distribution in Paraguay come from many countries, including Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, USA, UK and Germany.
• In Paraguay, you can purchase birth control pills without a prescription. Some of the pills you can expect to find in Paraguay are Anulette 20, Anulette CD, Anuit, Cilest, Dal, Diane-35, Exluton, Femiane, Gynovin, Harmonet, Lerogin, Lerogin 20, Linosun, Marvelon, Microgen, Microgynon, Minulet, Neolette, Nordette, Norgeal, Norvetal, Norvetal 20, Qlaira, Selene, Triciclomex, Triquilar, Yasmin and Yaz.
• If you would like a contraceptive shot/injection, you can find Acefil, Ciclomes, Clinomin, Cycloven, Ginestest, Gynogen, Mesigyna, Neogestar, Neolutin N, Oterol, Ovoginal, Perlutal, Perlutin-Unifarma, Permisil, Segura, Unigalen, Vagital and Yectuna in Paraguay.
• If you would like a contraceptive implant, we're not sure which options are available in Paraguay (being researched).
• If you would like an IUD, you can find Mirena in Paraguay.

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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.

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.