Birth control while travelling: what are your options?

When you’re travelling, the last thing you want to be worrying about is an unexpected pregnancy.

Which means that, unfortunately, you’ll have to include birth control as one of the major things to consider before you set off.

For us women, there are a few different options available to us, and it’s worth making a medical appointment well in advance of your departure date to choose the one that’s best for you.

For the men reading this… just make sure you always use a condom, okay? 🙂

I’ve used two types of contraception/birth control on my travels so far, with mixed results.

Here, I’ll share my experiences as well as some advice on your options.

Full disclosure:

1. I am not a medical professional and cannot provide you with any certified medical information. This post contains my experiences and advice only and should not be used in place of an appointment with a professional.

2. Although I comment on the implant, I do not have experience with costs associated with any of the longer-term contraceptives in the US/Canada etc. I obtained one implant (free) on the NHS in the UK, and another (cheap) on Medicare in Australia.

Condoms

First things first: unless you are travelling in an exclusive, committed relationship where you know your partner is clean, ALWAYS use a condom.

This goes for everyday life, not just when you’re travelling.

Condoms are the only birth control that protect you from Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Pros: they are usually pretty easy to get hold of in most countries, they’re cheap, and they protect you from STIs.

Cons: they can sometimes break.

The Pill

There are a two main types of contraceptive pills: the combined pill or the progestogen-only pill.

The pill must be taken at the same time every day for three weeks, with the fourth week off for a withdrawal bleed.

I’ve used the combined pill for a lot of my adult life, and I’ve got used to the routine of taking one at the same time every day.

However, when you’re travelling for a long time across different countries and time zones it can be hard to keep track.

The main reason that I like using the pill is that I have control over when my period comes.

If it’s due to arrive at an inconvenient time (when it’s hard to keep clean or I don’t have access to sanitary items), I can run two packs back-to-back and skip a period.

When I knew I would be using the pill while travelling long-term, I made sure to have at least 6 months worth stocked up before I left home.

This kept me going for my time around Asia; in New Zealand I found that I could walk into a pharmacy without a prescription and buy pills over the counter.

Note: if you’re heading to Hong Kong, you can also buy pills off the shelf at a pharmacy there without a prescription.

Pros: fairly cheap, easy to pack, over 99% effective when used correctly, more control over periods.

Cons: remembering to take one every day, especially in different time zones, can be hard.

Longer-term birth control

If taking a pill daily is not for you, there are other options available.

Some forms of birth control can be effective for weeks, months or even years before you need to change them.

Here are a few of the longer term options:

Patch

• Lasts 1 week. Use one per week for three weeks, then have a week off before the next one.
• The patch is worn on your skin. It can be worn in the bath and while swimming.
• Over 99% effective when used correctly.

Ring

• Lasts 1 month, but the ring should be removed after 3 weeks, with a week off before the next one.
• The ring is inserted into the vagina by hand.
• Over 99% effective when used correctly.

Injection

• Lasts 8-13 weeks, depending on the type of injection.
• Administered by a doctor or nurse.
• Over 99% effective when used correctly.

Implant

• Lasts 3 years.
• The implant is inserted under the skin of your upper arm by a doctor or nurse.
• Possibility for periods to stop completely.
• Over 99% effective.

Intrauterine device/IUD/coil

• Lasts 5-10 years, depending on the type.
• The IUD is a small T-shaped device which is inserted into your uterus by a doctor or nurse.
• Over 99% effective when inserted correctly.

Of all these methods of birth control other than the pill, I only have experience with the implant.

I got my first implant (Nexplanon) while I was in the UK, under the NHS, and it was a dream.

For the entire 3 years I had little to no periods at all.

This was incredibly helpful when I was backpacking around South East Asia; I could literally forget all about it!

At the end of the three years, after the success of the first one, I decided to get another implant.

By this time I was working on a remote farm in Australia, but I got myself an appointment at the local medical centre and they agreed to remove my old implant and insert a new one.

I had to buy my implant (Implanon) at the pharmacy next door and take it back to the medical centre, where they inserted it for me.

If I remember correctly, the whole procedure cost me no more than $40 AUD.

But this second implant was not all sunshine and roses like the first one had been.

Instead of no periods, I was almost constantly on my period! By the time it got this bad, I was in Hong Kong, where I couldn’t find any information about the implant and decided I’d have to wait until I got back to the UK to have it removed.

In the meantime, I took the pill to give myself some relief from the bleeding.

So, my review on the implant is mixed.

Conclusion

Now that you know a little about the different options available for birth control while you’re travelling, I recommend you make an appointment with a medical professional and discuss your needs in detail.

Different hormones affect people in different ways and every person is unique.

It’s also worth mentioning that you may need to wait a few weeks for a surgical appointment if you choose the implant or IUD, so get the process started as early as you can.

And enjoy your travels, worry-free!

What’s your preferred birth control method while travelling? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

Want more like this? Check out these articles:

• Travel safety guide: 12 tips that could save your life
• How to stay healthy while travelling
• Travelling with anxiety: a personal experience story