Contraception:
Find the right one for you
On this page you can find information on the different methods of contraception available in Malta, where to get them, and their approximate costs. If you already had sex without a contraceptive, or your contraceptive failed (eg: condom burst) you will need to take the morning after pill to avoid getting pregnant.
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Contraceptives help prevent pregnancy, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
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Any contraceptive can fail, but failure rates are very low for long acting contraceptives like the implant and IUD.
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Only condoms provide protection against sexually transmitted infections.
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Some contraceptives, especially ones using hormones, can have side effects and may not be suitable for every person.
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Consult with your doctor or pharmacist if you need help choosing a contraceptive. You can also speak to us using the chat function on this website.
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Pharmacies are the main place to buy contraception in Malta. At pharmacies you can get condoms and the morning after pill without a prescription. With a doctor's prescription you can buy the contraceptive pill and the vaginal ring. Many pharmacies in Malta host private doctors who can issue prescriptions for contraception, for a fee. You can also see a GP at a health centre to get a prescription for free.
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To find your nearest pharmacy in Malta or Gozo click here. On a Sunday or public holiday you can check which pharmacies are open on this roster.
In most cases, you will have to buy your contraceptives with your own money, even if you obtain a prescription for free from a health centre GP. Unfortunately, there are no subsidy or reimbursement schemes for contraceptives in Malta, so they have to be purchased at retail price. If you do not wish to become pregnant for a few years, it may be more cost-effective to use a long acting contraceptive.
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In certain situations, you could get a hormone IUD inserted on the national health service if you have heavy periods, but you may still be asked to pay for the IUD itself. There are also voluntary organisations like the Women for Women Foundation that can help fund contraception on a case-by-case basis for those who cannot afford it.
These are types of contraceptives that must be used regularly and require you to remember to use them properly. They tend to have a lower initial cost, but are more likely to fail than longer acting contraceptives. They are easy to stop if you decide to try for a baby.
Condoms are the only contraceptive that protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
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When used perfectly, they prevent pregnancy in 98% of cases, but this is closer to 85% in real life.
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Condoms relatively cheap and easily available in Malta. You can find them at supermarkets, pharmacies and dispenser machines in many public restrooms. Both male and female condoms are available.
The oral contraceptive pill, or "the pill" for short, is one of the most popular methods of contraception used in Malta.
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The pill contains one or more hormones that stop ovulation, or release of the egg. If taken properly, it is up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.
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You can buy it with a doctor's prescription at any pharmacy, and costs around 10 Euro a month.
The vaginal ring is a flexible plastic ring with hormones that sits in the vagina and prevents pregnancy. A ring is inserted by the woman herself and removed after 21 days. After a 7 day ring-free break a new ring is inserted.
The ring is 99% effective against pregnancy if used properly.
It costs about 20-30 Euro a month in Malta.
These are contraceptives that are inserted through a minor procedure and last a number of years. They tend to have a higher initial cost than other contraceptives, but are cost-effective in the long term. They do not require you to remember to use them regularly, and are the most effective contraceptives, having protection rates against pregnancy of over 99%. If you decide to try for a baby, you will need to have them removed through another minor procedure.
An intrauterine device (IUD) is perfect if you want a low maintenance contraceptive.
It's a fit-and-forget contraceptive, which means you do not have to remember to use it regularly like condoms or the pill.
There are two types of IUDs: the copper coils and hormone IUDs (Mirena and Jaydess).
It's easy to stay protected from pregnancy with a contraceptive implant. You won't have to remember to take any medicines or do anything once it's fitted.
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It's a small rod that's around 4cm in length with a diameter of 2mm and is fitted under the skin of your arm. The ones available in Malta last for 3 years.
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This contraceptive is ideal for women who cannot take or tolerate oestrogen since it uses a different hormone to stop ovulation.
The contraceptive injection is a liquid-based medicine that unlike other long acting contraceptives does not require the insertion of a solid object into your body.
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Contraceptive injections contain a progestogen hormone that prevents pregnancy for 13 weeks per dose.
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The cost of the contraceptive injection is around 50 Euro per dose.
Unlike other contraceptives that have to be used or inserted before having sex, emergency contraceptives are used or inserted after sex to prevent pregnancy. They can be used after unprotected sex or if the regular method of contraception has failed, for example a condom burst. There are two types of emergency contraception - morning after pills and the copper IUD. The copper IUD is more effective as an emergency contraceptive than morning after pills, but unfortunately is not used for this purpose in Malta due to restrictive laws on abortion.
The morning after pill reduces your chance of getting pregnant after sex by 75%. This means it successfully prevents three out of four pregnancies.
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There are two types of morning after pill available in Malta: EllaOne and Levonorgestrel-based pills. EllaOne is probably more effective than the other pills in obese women and if used around the time of ovulation.
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The Levonorgestrel-based pills cost around 15 Euro and EllaOne costs around 35 Euro. You do not need a doctors' prescription to buy them.
