Emergency contraception (EC) is available in Belarus: LNG EC and UPA EC are available in pharmacies, but EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security.
- Sexual & reproductive health background information
- Accessibility & prescription status
- Cost
- Guidelines & common practices
- EC use
Sexual & reproductive health background information
| Female population aged 15-49 | Mean age at first sexual intercourse | Mean age at birth of first child | Total fertility rate | % use of modern contraceptive methods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 2,268,0001 | n/a | 25.12 | 1.623 | 56.04 |
| Year | 2015 | n/a | 2011 | 2012 | 2005 |
Accessibility & prescription status
In Belarus, LNG EC is available behind the counter from pharmacies, which means that EC is available without a prescription but is not on the shelves and needs to be requested in order to purchase. UPA EC and the Yuzpe method can only be purchased with a prescription from pharmacies.
Physicians are the sole health care professionals who are authorized to prescribe UPA EC, while physicians, midwives, nurses, pharmacists, and internet prescribers can prescribe or provide LNG EC.
Cost
| Type of EC | Approximate Cost | Brand(s) Available |
|---|---|---|
| LNG | € 9 | Postinor |
| LNG | € 10 | Escapelle |
| UPA | € 17 | Dvella |
The cost of EC is not reimbursed or covered by social security in Belarus.
Guidelines & common practices
Belarus uses the July 2012 WHO Fact Sheet Nº 244 on emergency contraception as guidelines for EC. This reference includes recommendations on LNG EC pills as well as on the use of IUD for EC.
Health care providers sometimes provide general information about EC during regular consultations but never prescribe EC in advance of need. Health care providers do not require a pregnancy test or a pelvic exam before prescribing EC.
EC use
| Ever use of EC | EC use in the last 12 months | % with no prescription | Repeated use of EC in last 12 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Year | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Sources
1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision. New York, 2013.
2 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division Database. Mean Age of Women at Birth of First Child by Country and Year. Updated 23 November 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2015, from http://w3.unece.org/pxweb/dialog/varval.asp?ma=04_GEFHAge1stChild_r&path=../database/STAT/30-GE/02-Families_households/&lang=1&ti=Mean+age+of+women+at+birth+of+first+child.
3 European health for all database (HFA-DB), World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Total fertility rate. Retrieved 3 August 2015, from http://data.euro.who.int/hfadb/.
4 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Contraceptive Use 2012. New York, 2012.
Last update: August 2015
