Warsaw

Poland / Warsaw

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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Poland, birth control pills are only available with a prescription. There appears to be a six-cycle maximum for prescriptions. After six months, women may need to obtain a new birth control prescription. From 1952-1989, Poland was under communist rule as the Polish People's Republic, and it served as a satellite state of the Soviet Union. During these years, birth control pills were legal and widely accessible. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the Polish People's Republic, the Catholic Church became increasingly powerful in Polish society. Today, this has created an environment in which doctors or pharmacists can refuse to sell birth control to women. Some have called the situation in Poland a "sexual revolution in reverse," as Polish society seems to be undoing years of social progress.

Historically, some of the earliest changes came in 1991, when the Polish government removed subsidies for birth control, thereby tripling the price. As reported by the New York Times in 1991, "Since June 1989, when Poland's first non-Communist leaders in half a century took office, elements in the country's Catholic church have been pressing for parliamentary adoption of laws reflecting the church's social agenda. In the last year the Government has introduced voluntary religion classes in the public schools and tightened divorce laws." In the past few years, the Catholic Church has vocally opposed public education on family planning, LGBT rights and sex education. The Church was most recently inflamed by "gender workshops," which encouraged sex education for young people. In response, the Church supported posters that stated “Protect Your Child Against Gender," which were plastered around schools in 2013. As reported by the New York Times in early 2014, "Almost every day there are new pronouncements warning against gender ideology, for example, as when a priest commented in a talk in Poznan that 'gender leads to the devastation of families' and 'is associated with radical feminism, which advocates for abortion, the employment of women and the detention of children in preschools.'"

Overall, Polish society is at a crossroads. Birth control pills are still legal, but sex education is very limited and, as reported by the New York Times, "even scientists speak in one voice with the church..." This means that less and less women may be educated on contraceptives in the future, and there may be increasing problems related to accessibility, information and social stigma.

What to Get & Where to Get It

In Poland, you will need to visit a physician ("lekarz" in Polish) to obtain a birth control prescription. To say contraceptive/birth control in Polish, you can say "antykoncepcyjny." Once you've obtained a prescription, you can purchase birth control at a pharmacy ("apteka" in Polish). If you already have a foreign birth control prescription, it may not be accepted in Polish pharmacies, so you should visit a pharmacy to confirm. Some common birth control brands in Poland are Microgynon, Minisiston, Rigevidon and Stediril 30.

Here are some pharmacies to check out:

• Apteka 21: This is a 24-hour pharmacy at Warszawa Centralna train station.
• Apteka Ordynacka: Address Śródmieście. ul. Tamka 49, 00-355 Warsaw, Poland, Śródmieście. Phone number +48 22 827 07 94.
• Apteka Przy Willowej: Mokotów, Stary Mokotów, ul. Puławska 39, 02-508 Warsaw, Poland. Phone number 22 849 37 57.
• Euro Apteka: Ochota, Wola, Mirów, Al. Jerozolimskie 56, 00-803 Warsaw, Poland. Phone number 22 654 89 80
• Apteka Dariusz Zarzecki: Powiśle, Solec, ul Solec 30A, 00-403 Warsaw, Poland. Phone number 22 628 25 09.
• Super-Pharm: Śródmieście, ul. Marszałkowska 28a, Warsaw, Poland. Phone number 22 460 46 90.
• Apteka Przy Bażantarni: Ursynów, Przy Bażantarni 11, 02-793 Warsaw, Poland. Phone number 22 649 66 60.

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. 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) 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.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Currently, emergency contraception (the morning after pill) is available in Poland without a prescription (if they are over 15 years old). This may soon change. The Law and Justice Party (PiS) wants to make emergency contraception only available by prescription. This goes against how it's currently accessed in most European countries (i.e. no prescription needed) and it goes against the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency, which states that EC can be used safely and effectively without a prescription.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Note: The longest-lasting EC is currently ellaOne. It lasts up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex, and it's carried in Poland. Copper IUDs may also prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after unprotected sex. If none of these options are available, and it's been over 3 days since you had unprotected sex, you can still take EC, which may work up to 5 days. Note that EC pills are not 100% effective and should be taken as soon as possible.

The information below is provided by the Princeton EC Website:

Dedicated Products / Anti-Progestin Take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex:

• ellaOne (visit the Polish ellaOne website for details)

Dedicated Products / Progestin Only Take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex:

• Escapelle

Take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex:

• Postinor Duo

Oral Contraceptives used for EC / Progestin-Estrogen Combined Note: in 28-day packs, only the first 21 pills can be used Take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later:

• Microgynon
• Minisiston
• Rigevidon
• Stediril 30

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.