Singapore: Difference between revisions

In Singapore, you'll need a prescription for birth control. If you don't already have one, you can visit a gynecologist for a consultation. They will ask you basic questions but will probably not require a pelvic exam. It appears that, if you're a minor, you can confidentially obtain contraceptives. As advised by WTF zine: "It is routine and lawful medical practice for your doctor to keep your medical records confidential. You can also consult a doctor other than the one your family sees. It is also easy to discreetly use birth control methods. For added confidentiality, ask your doctor about how you will be billed on your account or insurance statement. If it explicitly states birth control, you can request for it to show up as miscellaneous fees."<ref>[http://www.wtfzine.sg/got-questions-about-birth-control/ Got Questions about Birth Control?]</ref>

However, if you are under 16 years old (the age of consent), you should be aware of the laws and the fact that pharmacists may not prescribe birth control for you. As stated by the Singapore Medical Association Ethics Committee: "The Committee received a query from a doctor on prescribing contraceptive pills to a teenage girl, who is a foreigner, without her mother’s knowledge. As the girl is below the age of 16, and started sexual activities before turning 14, the doctor wanted to know the legality of continual prescription of contraception and whether he would be culpable in the event of a pregnancy. Based on the information provided, it was highlighted to the doctor that: If the sexual activities took place in Singapore, they would constitute a seizable criminal offence in Singapore under Section 376A of the Penal Code. It does not matter that the sex was consensual, as under the laws in Singapore, the patient is too young to be able to give legally effective consent, and the patient’s sexual partner was thus engaged in criminal activities. This is regardless of whether or not she gets pregnant."<ref>[http://news.sma.org.sg/4406/Ethics.pdf SMA Ethics Committee: Prescribing Contraceptive Pills]</ref>