Belgrade: Difference between revisions

While there is certainly room for improvement, you can find many health care options in Serbia. You can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) over-the-counter. No prescription is required. You can also purchase emergency contraception (the morning after pill) without a prescription. There are certainly some taboos around discussing sexuality and contraception, and this is in large part due to the nonexistent sex education in many Serbian schools. However, the country also does boast an array of contraceptive options, including pills, rings (e.g. Nuvaring), injectables and IUDs. You can receive STI tests at various clinics, and PEP is available for free. While you can find pads and tampons in Belgrade, you may have some difficulty finding menstrual cups or certain eco-friendly menstrual products, so those should be purchased online. Regarding abortion, for the first ten weeks of pregnancy, abortion is completely legal in Serbia. If you're under 16 years old, you need permission from your parents to receive an abortion. On this page, we have included some recommended gynecologists and obstetricians (from locals), which you may find in the sections below.

In Serbia, you can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) without a prescription.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Globral Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> While there are minimal religious or moral stigmas attached to birth control pills, according to locals, some women may avoid the pill because they consider it detrimental to hormonal health.  

When discussing contraception in Serbia, it's important to consider the state of sex education. As of September 2016, Serbia has no nationwide sex education in public schools,<ref>[http://www.telegraf.rs/english/2375458-sex-education-introduced-in-serbian-schools Sex education introduced in Serbian schools!]</ref> although at least one province has introduced an optional sex education program.<ref>[http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/sex-education-classes-kick-off-in-serbian-province Serbian Province Launches Sex Education Classes]</ref> Most recently, in 2017, the Education Ministry began instructing teachers of preschool and secondary schools to include material on sexual abuse and incest into their curriculum. This has inflamed some conservatives who worry about discussions of sexuality or the "LGBT" lifestyle in the classroom.<ref>[https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704221052884737-serbia-sex-education/ Serb Kids to Listen About LGBT, Non-Trad Sex During Lessons Against Child Abuse]</ref> In total, sex education remains uncommon and even taboo in parts of Serbia, which therefore makes discussion of contraceptive options all the more uncomfortable for some women.

* You can buy '''birth control pills''' in Serbia without a prescription at pharmacies. Some brands you can expect to see are Neogynon, Stediril, Stediril-d and Microgynon-30.<ref>[http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website]</ref> Note that progestin-only pills, like Cerazette and Azalia, are not sold in Serbia (as of May 2017), so local women tend to purchase them in Croatia or Hungary (and then bring them back to Serbia), if they prefer progestin-only pills.

* You can get an '''IUD''' in Serbia, where you'll find the Mirena and Novaplus brand at pharmacies.<ref>[Conversation with Belgrade pharmacist, May 2017]</ref> It is typically used by women who have already had children, but it's not commonly used in general in Serbia. One local said: "I don't know the price or if they will give them to a younger woman." If you know of gynecologists giving IUDs to younger, unmarried or women without children in Serbia, please add information to this section.

* You can find the '''contraceptive ring (Nuvaring)''' in Belgrade pharmacies.<ref>[Conversation with Belgrade pharmacist]</ref>

* It seems like '''contraceptive patches''' aren't available in Serbia (as of May 2017). One Belgrade pharmacist says, "We don't have contraceptive patches in my pharmacy, nor i'm know more of their current availability."<ref>[Conversation with Belgrade pharmacist, May 2017]</ref> Also, no contraceptive patches are listed on the official Serbia page from the International Planned Parenthood contraceptive database.