Assurance of no babies with the least amount of hassle... please?

October 7, 2008 7:18 AM

What's the easiest way to go about renewing my birth control prescription in Germany?

I'm an exchange student in Germany, and I need to get my birth control prescription renewed within a month. What's the easiest way to go about this? I've heard I have to book an appointment with a gynaecologist, but I'm sort of hoping there's an easier way. Any suggestions? Can you renew a prescription in a walk-in clinic? (and where might I find one?)

fwiw, I'm in the general Rhein-Neckar region, and am desperate enough to do a bit of train travel to get this prescription renewed.

posted by Planet F to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Here is a list of clinics in Baden-Württemberg that are associated with pro familia, which is the German affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. You mentioned that you are in the Rhein-Neckar region, so you'll probably be interested in a clinic in Heidelberg, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, or Heilbronn. The website of the pro familia clinic in Heidelberg mentions that they provide medical counseling in English, which may be of interest to you.

You will need a prescription written by a German doctor, but hopefully a doctor at one of these clinics will treat it as a routine thing, especially if you bring your US prescription.
posted by jedicus at 8:38 AM on October 7, 2008

Oh, and birth control is available over the counter in Spain, so if you're willing to do kind of a lot of train travel, you could get it that way with very little hassle.
posted by jedicus at 8:39 AM on October 7, 2008

Response by poster: hmm.... a trip to spain to renew my birth control sounds like an interesting idea.. I don't have my Canadian (not US, but close enough) prescription, but I do still have all the packaging for my current prescription.

Thanks for the list of clinics, nice to see one in Heidelberg!
posted by Planet F at 8:58 AM on October 7, 2008

You don't specifically need a gynaecologist; you do need to go to a doctor and get a prescription. Depending on how your health insurance works (are you somehow using your Canadian insurance? does your exchange program hook you up with one of the German public insurance companies (TK, for example)?), you may be able to simple check the insurance website for English-speaking primary care physicians and make an appointment. If you're staying in Germany for a while, it's not a bad idea to have one anyway. You might also want to ask around at any Apotheke near your Uni; they may know of other local walk-in clinics.
posted by ubersturm at 2:31 PM on October 7, 2008

Response by poster: I have TK insurance, Canadian insurance with my university, provincial insurance and private insurance, so I'm more than covered. I'll check the planned parenthood place, and if they turn me away, I'll ask at an apotheke. Thanks :)
posted by Planet F at 2:48 PM on October 7, 2008

German female here. Going to a gynecologist will be much easier than pro familia or walk-in clinics. Just go to any gynecologist's practice, tell the nice lady at the counter that you only need a pill perscription (and that you've taken that pill for some time and have no problems with it), and most likely you will get it after some time of waiting. At worst, you will be asked to come back the next day.

Profamilia is a organisation you would visit if you needed an abortion, or if you need the pill without your parents' consent, or similar emergencies - certainly not simple pill perscriptions, IMHO.
posted by The Toad at 10:27 AM on October 8, 2008