Tbilisi: Difference between revisions

[[File:Tbilisi View from the Top.jpg|500px | thumb|right|]]

In Georgia, you can purchase oral contraceptives (birth control pills) over-the-counter. No prescription is needed. However, 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 in the country, as well as the influence of the Orthodox Church (though many Georgians are not very religious). 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).  

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, Georgia remained a relatively conservative country during the Soviet era, maintaining the longstanding 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 Transition]</ref> which helped perpetuate traditional social and sexual mores in the country. Finally, the Orthodox Church has also played a role in lower adoption. Orthodox priests have urged  women to steer clear from birth control, and while many Georgians aren't extremely religious and may have ignored these warnings, other Georgians may have followed this advice.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-sex-selection-abortion/24979979.html Georgians Wrestle With Abortion Issue As Gender Imbalance Grows]</ref>  

Ultimately, the low rate of contraceptive adoption may contribute to the high abortion rate in Georgia. 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> This rate is not high for the region, potentially indicating that women may be using abortion as a family planning method.

* 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.]

* You can also get an '''intra-urine 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.

|keywords=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 your city.