- Why can't I buy birth control pills without a prescription?
- Contraception methods - surprising facts
- List of over-the-counter contraceptives
Which contraceptives can I buy without a prescription? Contraceptive pills and patches, unfortunately, are not on the list of medications that are dispensed without a doctor's prescription. However, there are many methods that can be used without consulting a specialist, e.g. contraceptive pessaries, a cervical cap. See their list along with information on the effectiveness and pricing of over-the-counter contraception.
Can I buy birth control pills without a prescription ? As with the IUD and the contraceptive patches, the answer isnot .You cannot buy any hormonal contraceptives in a pharmacy without a prescription in Poland . There is, however, a wide variety of barrier and chemical methods that are available without prescription.
Why can't I buy birth control pills without a prescription?
In Poland, you cannot buy over-the-counter contraceptives that contain synthetic hormones, so:
- birth control pills,
- plasters,
- vaginal ring,
- IUD,
- hormone injection,
- contraceptive implant,
- tablets "after".
This is due to the fact that the artificial hormones they contain affect the functioning of the entire body and there are a number of contraindications to their use. There are, for example, chronic diseases that may be exacerbated by the use of hormonal contraceptives. This applies especially to cardiovascular diseases such as thrombosis, varicose veins, and hypertension (synthetic hormones affect blood coagulation). There is also some evidence that hormonal contraception may increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer (e.g. breast cancer).
Moreover, each person is prone to certain types of diseases and the use of contraceptive pills or patches may activate them. That is why a medical interview with a gynecologist is so important, who, before prescribing hormonal agents, should carefully ask the patient about the presence of cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms in the family and herself. Only after ruling out contraindications, the doctor can write out a prescription.
Contraception methods - surprising facts
List of over-the-counter contraceptives
Selectableyou have a range of over-the-counter barrier and chemical contraceptives. They are usually cheaper than hormonal preparations, but are less effective. Some of them are also not very popular in Poland, so you can only buy them online on foreign auction sites.
Here is a list of contraceptives you can buy over the counter. Each one takes into account the efficiency rate with typical use and an indicative price.
Contraceptive | Effectiveness | Price |
male condoms | 82% | PLN 2-3 per item |
female condoms | 79% | PLN 10 pcs. |
vaginal membrane (diaphragm) | 88% | PLN 15-60 |
neck cap | 89% | PLN 270 |
vaginal sponge | 76-88% | ok. $ 10 each |
spermicides (gels, foams, contraceptive pessaries) | 71% | PLN 20-35 |