10,963
edits
Gynopedia needs your support! Please consider contributing content, translating a page, or making a donation today. With your support, we can sustain and expand the website. Gynopedia has no corporate sponsors or advertisers. Your support is crucial and deeply appreciated.
Tbilisi: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→List of Additional Resources
No edit summary |
|||
| (30 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) | |||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
'''OVERVIEW''' | '''OVERVIEW''' | ||
In Georgia, there are quite a few options available to women, but they're not all widely used. You can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) over-the-counter. No prescription is needed. It should be noted that Georgian women tend to use contraceptive methods, like birth control pills or condoms, at lower rates than many of their neighbors. This can be partially attributed to decades of scarce contraceptive supplies, the lack of affordability of contraceptives, and the conservative influences of family life and the Orthodox Church. However, Georgia is gradually experiencing an increase in contraceptive use. Meanwhile, emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills) are available over-the-counter at pharmacies, and LNG contraceptives (such as Escapelle and Postinor) are included in the national policies for family planning and sexual violence. However, like in the case of contraceptives, Georgian women do not display a high rate of usage of ECPs. | |||
In Georgia, there are no legal restrictions related to people with HIV/AIDS. You can find free and anonymous STI testing sites. We're not sure if PrEP or PEP are available in Georgia, but the country launched a nationwide HPV vaccination program in 2017. Regarding menstruation, you can find pads/pantyliners in Georgia, but you'll probably have difficulty finding menstrual cups (as of 2018). Finally, abortion is fully legal and available upon request during the first trimester (first twelve weeks of pregnancy). In the past, Georgia had a high abortion rate, but the rate has significantly dropped as more women have begun to use contraceptives. | |||
==Contraception (Birth Control)== | ==Contraception (Birth Control)== | ||
| Line 16: | Line 20: | ||
In Georgia, you can buy birth control pills over-the-counter. No prescription is needed.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> <ref>[Free the Pill: Where on Earth?]</ref> However, Georgian women use contraception at lower rates than their neighbors. According to a 2015 UN report, it was found that 51.8% of Georgian women (who are of reproductive age and married or in unions) use some form of contraception, including both modern and traditional methods. This is compared to 56.7% of Azerbaijani women, 59.2% of Armenian women, 66.5% of Ukrainian women and 74.2% of Turkish women. Furthermore, it was found that 16.8% of Georgian women have unmet family planning needs.<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref> | In Georgia, you can buy birth control pills over-the-counter. No prescription is needed.<ref>[http://ocsotc.org/wp-content/uploads/worldmap/worldmap.html Global Oral Contraception Availability]</ref> <ref>[Free the Pill: Where on Earth?]</ref> However, Georgian women use contraception at lower rates than their neighbors. According to a 2015 UN report, it was found that 51.8% of Georgian women (who are of reproductive age and married or in unions) use some form of contraception, including both modern and traditional methods. This is compared to 56.7% of Azerbaijani women, 59.2% of Armenian women, 66.5% of Ukrainian women and 74.2% of Turkish women. Furthermore, it was found that 16.8% of Georgian women have unmet family planning needs.<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref> | ||
According to 2015 data, the most | According to 2015 data, the most common form of contraception in Georgia was found to be condoms (used by 14.4% of Georgian women who are married or in unions). This was followed by IUDs (13.2%), withdrawal/pull-out method (9%) and the rhythm method (6%). Generally speaking, birth control pills were less popular, as they were found to be used by only 4.3% of the surveyed women. There were also comparatively low rates of usage of female sterilization (3.1%), vaginal barrier methods (1.6%), contraceptive injectables (0.1%) and male sterilization (0.1%). There was found to be practically no usage of contraceptive implants (0.0%) at that time.<ref>[http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/trendsContraceptiveUse2015Report.pdf Trends in Contraceptive Use Worldwide 2015]</ref> | ||
There are many reasons why Georgian women use contraceptives at lower rates than their neighbors. For years, Georgia had insufficient contraceptive availability and family planning resources for women in the country.<ref>[https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/abortion-and-contraception-georgia-and-kazakhstan Abortion and Contraception in Georgia and Kazakhstan]</ref> Furthermore, contraceptives were expensive for many Georgians, and the state-funded health care system for the poor did not cover contraceptives.<ref>[https://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/from-abortion-to-contraception-in-georgia/ From Abortion to Contraception]</ref> | |||
The low rate of adoption must also be understood from a cultural and religious standpoint. Georgia remained a relatively conservative country during the Soviet era, maintaining the belief that women should remain virgins until marriage. After they married, they lived in homes that included an extended family of potentially three or four generations,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=61RhUZYRcz0C&pg=PA228&lpg=PA228&dq=georgia+country+religion+contraceptives&source=bl&ots=oplfCa1DMm&sig=U8E1NnEQqBFY602AEP7Cv9krNao&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik5-LghIjZAhVQ3WMKHd_nBdg4ChDoATAFegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=georgia%20country%20religion%20contraceptives&f=false Central and Eastern Europe in Central Europe]</ref> where traditional sexual mores remained intact. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church is an incredibly influential force in Georgia today. The Church does not approve of contraceptives and its priests have actively discouraged women from using them.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-sex-selection-abortion/24979979.html Georgians Wrestle With Abortion Issue As Gender Imbalance Grows]</ref> While the country continues to modernize over the decades, these cultural forces certainly play a role in women's lives. | |||
Ultimately, the low rate of contraceptive adoption may have contributed to the abortion rate in Georgia, where many women have used abortion as a late-stage family planning method. In fact, in 2005, Georgian women had an average of 3.1 abortions per lifetime.<ref>[https://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/from-abortion-to-contraception-in-georgia/ From Abortion to Contraception]</ref> However, it should be noted that the abortion rate has gradually decreased over the past decade,<ref>[http://agenda.ge/news/62872/eng Abortion rate drops in Georgia[</ref> and in 2010, the abortion rate per woman had already dropped to 1.6 abortions per lifetime. This was largely due to USAID and UNFPA campaigns in the country, which helped educate people about contraceptives and provided subsidies for contraceptives. As a result, Georgia began to see wider adoption of contraceptive methods, such as condoms and birth control pills.<ref>[https://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/from-abortion-to-contraception-in-georgia/ From Abortion to Contraception]</ref> As of 2017, there are 1.76 children born per woman, on average, in Georgia.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2127.html CIA World Factbook - FIELD LISTING :: TOTAL FERTILITY RATE]</ref> | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||
* Both local brand (cheaper) and Durex can be found at the Carrefour (or indeed, any Carrefour across Georgia). As of March '19, a standard pack of Durex costs approx. 28 lari for 12 condoms. | |||
* In Georgia, you can obtain '''oral contraceptives (birth control pills)''' at pharmacies without a prescription. There are no age restrictions to purchase birth control pills. Some of the brands you can expect to find Ovral, Microgynon and Rigevidon.<ref>[http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website]</ref> | * In Georgia, you can obtain '''oral contraceptives (birth control pills)''' at pharmacies without a prescription. There are no age restrictions to purchase birth control pills. Some of the brands you can expect to find Ovral, Microgynon and Rigevidon.<ref>[http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website]</ref> | ||
* You can find '''IUDs''' in Georgia. At the [http://www.chachava.ge/index.php?page=1010&lang=eng Chachava Clinic], the cost of IUD insertion is 34 GEL an patients get the IUD themselves (as of February 2018). | * You can find '''IUDs''' in Georgia. At the [http://www.chachava.ge/index.php?page=1010&lang=eng Chachava Clinic], the cost of IUD insertion is 34 GEL an patients get the IUD themselves (as of February 2018). | ||
| Line 27: | Line 36: | ||
===Costs=== | ===Costs=== | ||
* The state does not include contraception in the state-funded health care system for the poor, but USAID and UNFPA have helped subsidize contraception for the poor.<ref>[https://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/from-abortion-to-contraception-in-georgia/ From Abortion to Contraception]</ref> | |||
==Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)== | ==Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)== | ||
| Line 40: | Line 51: | ||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||
* In Georgia, you can obtain '''emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills)''' over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is needed. To access ECPs, you will need to request them for purchase at a pharmacy since they are not on the shelves. You can expect to see anti-progestin pills, like Dvella, and progestin-only pills, like Escapelle and Postinor. For updated instructions on how to use the pills, you can visit the [http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website.] | * In Georgia, you can obtain '''emergency contraceptive pills (morning after pills)''' over-the-counter at pharmacies. No prescription is needed. To access ECPs, you will need to request them for purchase at a pharmacy since they are not on the shelves. You can expect to see anti-progestin pills, like Dvella, and progestin-only pills, like Escapelle and Postinor. They will likely be branded in Cyrillic (Escapelle is labelled "Ескапел") but it is all the same pill. Price can vary between pharmacies but generally they cost around 20 lari. For updated instructions on how to use the pills, you can visit the [http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website.] | ||
* If you cannot access dedicated ECPs, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement ECPs. However, if you do this, remember that in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used. Some of the pills you can use are Ovral (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later), Microgynon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later) and Rigevidon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later). For updated instructions on how to use the pills, you can visit the [http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website.] | * If you cannot access dedicated ECPs, you can use regular birth control pills as replacement ECPs. However, if you do this, remember that in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used. Some of the pills you can use are Ovral (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later), Microgynon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later) and Rigevidon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later). For updated instructions on how to use the pills, you can visit the [http://ec.princeton.edu/ Princeton EC Website.] | ||
* You can also get an ''' | * You can also get an '''intrauterine device (IUD)''' to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. However, this requires a special insertion procedure, so will probably take more time to obtain than finding dedicated ECPs at a pharmacy. | ||
===Costs=== | ===Costs=== | ||
| Line 117: | Line 128: | ||
* [http://www.chachava.ge/index.php?page=1010&lang=eng Chachava Clinic]: This is a fertility clinic. Address: Merab Kostava Street 38, Tbilisi 0179, Georgia. Hours: Open 24 hours. Phone: +995 322 95 33 11 | * [http://www.chachava.ge/index.php?page=1010&lang=eng Chachava Clinic]: This is a fertility clinic. Address: Merab Kostava Street 38, Tbilisi 0179, Georgia. Hours: Open 24 hours. Phone: +995 322 95 33 11 | ||
* [http://www.mariposacounselling.com Mariposa Counselling] Provides private prenatal classes, childbirth education, birth doula services and postpartum support, including lactation consultations. Owned and run by a professional counsellor and doula. English, Russian, Spanish, Georgian (with translator). +995 595 343 789. | |||
===Costs=== | ===Costs=== | ||
| Line 156: | Line 169: | ||
* Click [https://www.equaldex.com/region/georgia here] to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Georgia. | * Click [https://www.equaldex.com/region/georgia here] to learn about LGBTQ rights and laws in Georgia. | ||
* Click [https://www.unfpa.org/news/breaking-taboos-around-sexual-and-reproductive-health-rural-georgia here] to read a 2018 UNFPA article about sexual and reproductive health taboos in rural Georgia. | |||
* [http://www.hera-youth.ge/ Association HERA XXI]: This organization is an associate member of IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation). They provide sexual and reproductive health care, and they also help provide educate and support local activists. Address: Association HERA XXI head office Gamsakhurdia Ave, II Block, Building 9, APT №2 Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: (995 32) 2 14 28 53 | |||
* [https://www.idpwa.org/ IDP Women Association “Consent”]: 41, Leselidze Street. Tbilisi 380005. Georgia. Tel: 8-832-98-89-06 | * [https://www.idpwa.org/ IDP Women Association “Consent”]: 41, Leselidze Street. Tbilisi 380005. Georgia. Tel: 8-832-98-89-06 | ||
* International Centre of Women's Education and Information: Baratashvili 10, 380005 Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel:+995 32 989 217 or +995 32 999 253. Fax: +995 32 001 077 or +995 32 001 127 or +995 32 989 217. E-mail: tamar@caucasus.net | * International Centre of Women's Education and Information: Baratashvili 10, 380005 Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel:+995 32 989 217 or +995 32 999 253. Fax: +995 32 001 077 or +995 32 001 127 or +995 32 989 217. E-mail: tamar@caucasus.net | ||
| Line 172: | Line 187: | ||
|title=Gynopedia | |title=Gynopedia | ||
|titlemode=append | |titlemode=append | ||
|keywords=contraception, birth control, emergency contraception, morning after pill, std test, sti test, hiv, treatment, medications, pharmacies, abortion, clinic, tampons, women's health | |keywords=tbilisi, georgia, contraception, birth control, emergency contraception, morning after pill, std test, sti test, hiv, treatment, medications, pharmacies, abortion, clinic, tampons, women's health | ||
|description=Find sexual, reproductive and women's health care in | |description=Find sexual, reproductive and women's health care in Tbilisi. | ||
}} | }} | ||