What’s vaginal health care like in your country?

[katrina2017]

@faithfullyhis4ever When I lived in Qatar, I never visited a gyno. I was in highschool and it was “illegal” to have premarital sex, so I always went for checkup when I went back to the states over the summer. BUT they did have Yaz birth control pills you could buy over the counter without a prescription, which a lot of my friends did. But you could tell it wasn’t a good fit for some of them.

 

[stewardmcalister]

@faithfullyhis4ever I'm from Germany.
Basically, most contraception is covered by your insurance (so it's free) until your 21st birthday, I believe. You can buy condoms at the drug store and the morning after pill at the pharmacy without a prescription. But you have to get a prescription for birth control pills.
IUDs aren't covered by your health care (usually), they can cost about 100-300€.
If you need antibiotics for a UTI, go see a doctor and get a prescription (go to the hospital on Sundays).
For medication for yeast infections, go to the pharmacy.

BTW, I really like the idea of creating this blog. Keep up the good work!

 

[richardspaulding]

@faithfullyhis4ever In the US, gynecologists often ignore guidelines and do yearly pap smears on all their patients. Most gynos and midwives do yearly pelvic exams even though there's a mountain of evidence it's not necessary and other medical organizations like the AAFP recommend against it. These providers also hold your birth control hostage until you submit. Ask the provider why you need a pelvic exam and they give you a dumb explanation like "it's just to make sure you're okayyy" as if you're three years old at the dentist. Yet despite this the doctors apparently don't explain anything because so many women have no idea what a pap smear actually is. I've met many who think just because you have a negative pap that means you're free of any and all STDs and cancers when it only checks for one specific thing, so you could be Syphilis Sally and still have a negative pap.

Some women have employers that require a pelvic exam every year in order for their birth control to be paid for, even if the doctor doesn't require it! And even worse, some employers won't allow their insurance polices to cover some or all types of birth control because of their religious beliefs. All in all, you're really better off seeing a clinic or Planned Parenthood becasue they're much more likely to follow guidelines and denying you care based on personal beliefs isn't allowed there. Private practice is just a crapshoot, and we have an OBGYN shortage so a lot of the ones taking new patients are the worse ones.

Every time you see any doctor they ask you when your last pap and last period was like that's the most important thing in the world even if you're injured and bleeding or you're stick with strep throat. I once got emergency care in a tent after a tornado. First question they asked me was when was my last period! Also for some reason the majority of women here require a plastic straw and plunger contraption to insert tampons.

 

[rohan]

@richardspaulding I’ve never heard of an employer requiring you to have a pelvic exam to continue your birth control.... it’s definitely not like that in the places I’ve lived in the US.

 

[richardspaulding]

@rohan I've seen several people post on here and other forums that their employer's health insurance requires it or they won't pay.

I had to dig for it, but here's one I remembered recently:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskFeminists/comments/eh2mhn/are_well_woman_exams_sexist

 

[rohan]

@richardspaulding Hmmmm- I read the link, and I’m familiar with a “well woman exam”, but I’ve never been forced to have one. In fact, I’ve had the opposite problem. My OB wants me to only have a Pap smear once every 3 years instead of annually. I just considered it “preventative care”. Rather than going in when a person is symptomatic, it’s nice to have a person to discuss issues that might crop up before things get bad.

 

[richardspaulding]

@rohan You don't need a pap annually. It's overtesting that subjects you to a greater risk of false positive for no benefit. The changes caused by HPV happen so slowly that yearly is unnecessary, and that's why you can do every 5 years if it's combined with an HPV test. Doing it more frequently isn't preventing anything. They changed the guidelines because more was understood about how HPV and cervical cancer occurs, and the US was far behind many other countries in doing so, so you can be assured the guidelines are very well tested and don't put you at any greater risk.

 

[jparker]

@faithfullyhis4ever In Costa Rica you can buy birth control without a prescription from any pharmacy and it's affordable. If you were to move there and work, you can also get BC for free, as well as have a baby and receive prenatal care through the public healthcare system at no cost.

 

[godoflove777]

@faithfullyhis4ever I live in the USA, Florida! I’ve had the Nexplanon, went on the pill, and now I’m on the depo shot. My experience with Nexplanon was a breeze, and I wish I would have just gotten it replaced when my time was up for the last one. I’m planning to do that very soon! My experience with both the pill and the depo shot has been fine in terms of the actual experience with the birth control itself. My issue lies with the pharmacy/doctors office. Whenever I would need a refill for the pill, it would never ever be ready. So I’d call the pharmacy, they’d say call the doctor. I call the doctor, they say call the pharmacy. It’s been the exact same with the depo, because I have to pick up the vial from the pharmacy, and go to the doctors office to get the shot. It’s never ready despite the doctors office telling me that they sent in for several refills. The pharmacy says they don’t have any refills every single time. It takes me calling over and over again to each of them for me to finally get them. It’s usually a several day process. With the pill it was worse because I’d eventually run out of pills and I’m begging these people to please figure it out because the last thing I need right now is a child, plus I have pretty intense bleeding and cramps so if I can avoid a period, I’m going to. With depo, I don’t get a period on it (same with Nexplanon) so I’m sitting there days away from the impending doom, well into the window of needing to get the shot, and they have no answers for me from either side. I’m ready to go back to Nexplanon so I don’t have this problem every 3 months. Tired of fighting with these people on the phone. I’ve complained on both ends (doctor and pharmacy) but nothing ever changes.

 

[5thavesurgery]

@faithfullyhis4ever Hi, I'm from Serbia. I've been on birth control for 6 months now. For university students there is a special clinic. We have specialist like gyno, dermatologist, psychologist, dentist and an obgyn.

Visits to all of them are free, as is healthcare. You can get birth control at any pharmacy and it ranges form $2.5-$10 a box with 21 pills. Or you can get a prescription and get them for free. All tests are free. I'm thinking of getting an IUD inserted in the next 6 mounths to a year, so we'll see how that goes. Doctors in national (for the lack of a better word) hospitals and clinis (as is the student one) are sometimes uninteresred or plain egotistical. They can be nasty and treat patients like animals. But there are very good ones that treat them like a family members. There are also many private clinics that are very good at their jobs and always have a smile. Once i get a job i dont think ill ever go to nation hospitals and clinics, just cause i dont want to deal with all that shit. In some hospitals pregnant women would get old salamy, bread and mayonnaise for lunch. It's just chaos. Some say its true, some say it's fake. All in all it's a lottery. Best bet is private clinic. If you're lucky to have someone in healthcare, life is a bit easier...or so i'm told.

 

[katrina2017]

@faithfullyhis4ever A first time gynecologist appointment is 5eur. If you're called back then that one is free. Nexplanon cost me 50-ish eur. Mirena should cost the same, but since I am young and don't have kids my doctor recommended the implant instead. Not sure about the price on birth control pills though since I've never taken any, but you can get them prescribed by a doctor if you just go and ask.

The waiting lists aren't long in the city where I live, around 2 weeks. You can get tested for anything you're worried about and there's easy access to any birth control. Treatments for infections etc you can either get prescribed when you call a doctor or see them or there's some over the counter too like Canesten for yeast infection.

In Estonia, Europe.

 

[isaiah268]

@faithfullyhis4ever In the DR you can go to the pharmacy and buy birth control without prescription. You can also buy antibiotics without prescription. Yasmin is $17 USD without any sort of insurance.

 

[cbonn103]

@faithfullyhis4ever Just a note that you refer to vagina healthcare - but contraception and gynaecological care covers much more than just the vagina!

In New Zealand, most healthcare services are funded only for citizens, residents, or people with certain working visas. Otherwise you will have to pay. It’s not common to see a gynaecologist unless you need specialised care, for routine things like contraception, and initial investigations you will see your GP/family doctor. If required they will refer you to a specialist. Cervical smears are recommended every 3 years from 2 unless you have certain history etc.

GP visits range in price from $15-65 approx depending on location, your age, and financial circumstances eg students or people receiving welfare benefits are often cheaper. Most birth control pills are $5/6 months. IUD insertion is around $100, and I’m not sure about injection or arm implants as I’ve never used them.

Many people have medical insurance on top of the public healthcare system. This doesn’t usually cover contraception but will cover gynaecologist visits and procedures if required.

 

[kimbojack8]

@faithfullyhis4ever Philippines, here. We live in an extremely religious country, so that means birth control and sexual health are taboo. However, the government does give free access to pills and implants across certain rural areas. The cheapest birth control here costs a 1USD (EE + Levonorgestrel), and the most expensive may be Yasmin at 20USD. IUD's in general cost 100USD, while the Mirena is somewhere closer to 450USD. Some women's clinics, however, provide IUD's for free!

Most of the women who use female birth control are married or are mothers. Students, even uni students, are condemned for using pills. Condom use is more rampant here than pills among younger couples.

Nobody ever really talks about birth control so much of the knowledge that women have here is based on self-learning. The Church fought tooth and nail for decades in order to ban artificial birth control here.

 

[katrina2017]

@faithfullyhis4ever I'm from Australia and I've lived in both Perth and Canberra. Both cities are similar except there are few doctors that don't charge in Canberra (covered by Medicare). In Perth I used birth control pills, I would get an appointment with the doctor (for free) that week and they would check my blood pressure and give me a prescription for a year's worth of pills. I would go to the pharmacy and get a 4 month pack of pills for about $15 AUD, as birth control is a medication covered by the Australian PBS benefits scheme. It was really easy.

If you aren't an Australian citizen holding a valid Medicare card, you will have to pay to see a doctor which will cost $50-85 AUD depending on the doctor and you will have to pay the full price of birth control (still usually $15-30 AUD for many brands). Prescription drugs are the cheapest at a pharmacy called Chemist Warehouse, for example I take anti-depressants which cost me $30 AUD a month at any other pharmacy, but at CW they only cost me $7.39 AUD a month.

In Canberra I make sure to see doctors that don't charge (called bulk-billing), but again if you're not a citizen it will cost you about $75 AUD. I've been on the pill here which was the same experience as in Perth, and I've recently been put on Nexplanon. I got an appointment that week to tell my doctor I wanted Nexplanon (called Implanon NXT here) and he made an appointment for insertion the next day. He gave me a prescription to pick up the implant from the pharmacy which cost me $40 AUD (it will cost $140 AUD if you're not a citizen) and he charged me $110 AUD for insertion, of which Medicare will refund $30 AUD.

I have never experienced any judgement from pharmacists when filling any prescriptions, but I have had judgemental doctors in Perth (always old men). Abortion is legal in every Australian state except South Australia. Canberra is the most progressive city in Australia (I've been all around my country). In Canberra you can have an abortion during ANY time in the pregnancy and people are not allowed to protest outside clinics. I'm not sure what it costs but it can be upwards of $500 AUD depending. I had a friend get the mirena inserted under general anesthesia at a private clinic and she paid $500 AUD and said it would have cost $350 AUD without GA. My doctor also inserts the IUD which would be cheaper than a private clinic.

I've only had a pap smear done in Perth and I went to a charity clinic where I paid $10, I believe they charge that for everyone, citizen or not. I wish birth control were free here, but at least I can easily access it without judgement. I had to see a gynecologist once and it cost me $500 AUD and I was refunded $300 by medicare. I don't believe there are many gynecologists in Australia that don't charge. Most specialist doctors charge. I hope this is helpful

 

[staperk]

@katrina2017 I went to Aus for a year. Got my pap done there (queensland) and it was around 20AUD. Getting EC was reasonable (I was able to get a script from the clinic I went to as a non-resident), and cost less for the prescription than Plan B does without a script in Canada. My experience with most Australians was pleasant, and I wish I could come back and visit the sunshine coast again aha

 

[dcotruta]

@faithfullyhis4ever in buenos aires, Argentina.

by national law, are birth control methods are free

BC pills are prescription based but very easy to get

the implant cost me around 5k pesos, 1 year and a half ago, because i went to private gyno with my insurance so the process was easier (vs gping to a public hospital and having a shittier experience)

dont really have that much exp tbh

 

[johncval13]

@faithfullyhis4ever My experience in Canada has been good and bad for the same reason: universal health care. On the surface, it sounds great, which in most cases it is! I get to see a doctor for free whenever which is covered through MSP. Because I’m in university still even though I’m older than 19, I get to stay on my parents benefits until I’m done my degree. In this case I’m lucky because my parents both have government jobs which have great health benefits. Some people my age aren’t as lucky with coverage, honestly it just depends on your job, your parents, marital status, etc. Anyways back to the universal health care thing; the downside with free doctors visits are the wait times to get to see a doctor, ESPECIALLY a Gyno. It took me 4 months after my IUD was prescribed by my family doctor to be able to get in to see a Gyno, just to have it inserted. So for the most part, I’m pretty satisfied, and I am glad that Canada does offer equal health opportunities for everyone, it just sucks when you have to wait a long time just for a simple Gyno visit.

 

[makingchristiandisciples]

@faithfullyhis4ever Experience in Zurich, Switzerland, been living here for 2.5 years.

I got an IUD, made an appointment with a gynae, he was really nice and unjudgmental, explaining all the options. I'm on a student health insurance, the first appointment was covered (one checkup per year covered), but all the rest I had to pay myself. We had 3 appointments total, initial appointment, insertion appointment and checkup appointment. Will have another 6months after insertion. The IUD itself cost me CHF500 (~515USD).

Morning after pill you can get easily at a pharmacy after talking to a pharmacist in a little room and filling out a form, it costs about 50CHF.

Antibiotics for UTI you can also easily get at a pharmacy OTC, there's a version which has only one pill, and they told me since UTI are common and easily diagnosable they give the antibiotic OTC. Think it cost in the range of CHF30.

Condoms, lube etc is available many places, there's even erotic shops which sell sex toys and lingerie, I would say people are quite open about sex in general so it's not a taboo.

Conclusion: everything is available but it's quite expensive and I had to pay everything myself except one appointment because I am on a cheap student health insurance (I'm from abroad).

 

[katrina2017]

@faithfullyhis4ever I live in Mexico. Here, free healthcare is supposedly accesible to everyone even though the quality is not very good. If it was in Mexico City I would trust IMSS (the national free healthcare organization) to carry out an IUD insertion or an abortion. Other than that you’re pretty much going to have to pay (not very expensive) and make an appointment with an OB/GYN for prescription pills and everything else, but you likely won’t find one in rural areas.