Female healthcare can be a minefield, but especially if you’re living abroad, so here’s what I’ve learned about birth control, gynecologists, abortion, miscarriages, and health insurance in Taiwan, as well as a few tips about working and healthcare.
If you want to know all about pregnancy in Taiwan and specifically c-sections, then check out Giving birth via C-Section in Taiwan 2024.
Where to Go
For gynecologists, you’ve got two options (1) clinic or (2) hospital.
Honestly, I think the hospital is much better. The clinic is a good choice if hospital isn’t an option (like you live in a rural area) and sometimes clinics have shorter wait times than hospitals (particularly if you’re in a big city like Taipei), but in general hospitals are the way to go for lady health problems.
Why hospitals?
One, for hospitals you can often make appointments online. Go to Google, search your nearest hospital, go their website, turn on Google Translate, and make an appointment. Easy peasy. No getting a friend to call for you (which can sometimes be awkward, especially if its about feminine health issues).
Two, the level of English tends to be better in the hospitals (in my experience).
Three, equipment tends to be better. If you just want someone to do a pap smear, by all means, go to a clinic. But if you need an ultrasound or something more complicated, hospital is your best bet.
Birth Control
A lot can be bought over-the-counter. Obviously every 7/11 has condoms.
If you want birth control pills, just go to a pharmacy and ask for some.
There are a lot of brands of the pill, but not every pharmacy will have every brand, so if you’re picky about the type, you might have to hunt around and try going to bigger pharmacies for more selection. For example, Taiwan still has some old janky birth control pills like Yaz (that stuff legit nearly killed me in college), so if you’re sensitive, do some research first. I’m currently on the hunt for Gynera or Marvelon because I’ve heard they’re low-dose hormones (the only kind of pill I like) and available in Taiwan. I plan to check some pharmacies in Taichung when I visit them this weekend.
Taiwan has IUDs, but I’ve heard they only carry Mirena and Paraguard, which is a pity because I had an incredible small copper IUD that I got put in Vietnam that lasted for years with zero side-effects. If anyone knows if this exists in Taiwan, please let me know.
Taiwan also has the contraceptive shot that you can get from clinics or the hospital.
Taiwan also has the morning-after pill, which I have heard is readily available at every pharmacy.
Abortion
Before 12 weeks, abortion is relatively easy in Taiwan. Just ask around at clinics or hospitals and you’ll be given the necessary pills. If you meet resistance at a clinic or hospital, just go to another. Abortion is pretty common here, so it’s pretty easy to find a provider that will help you out if you need it.
After 12 weeks it gets trickier, but it’s still doable up until 24 weeks. Again, just go to different hospitals/clinics until someone agrees to do it. In Taiwan, surgical abortions aren’t common, so you’ll probably be given pills for a medically induced abortion even after 12 weeks.
Getting Pregnant
In Taiwan, you can get A LOT of virtually free ultrasounds and appointments if you’re pregnant. The only things you’ll have to pay for are things like Down Syndrome testing and amniocentesis if you need it. It’s about 8000 NTD for Down Syndrome testing (which can only be done at exactly 12 weeks) and its around 14,000 NTD for amniocentesis (which can only be done after 16 weeks).
Some other things of note for pregnancy in Taiwan include the “Mommy Book,” which is a book they’ll give you. Take that thing around to every clinic or hospital appointment. It’s how Taiwan helps you keep track of all the tests and everything you’ve done, even if you move from clinic to clinic. It’s actually a pretty simple, ingenious solution to what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming amount of appointments and information.
Time Off from Work
You can get a significant amount of time off of work for pregnancy in Taiwan. Keep your doctor’s notes because if you miss work for a doctor’s appointment, but show the doctor’s appointment notes, you’ll still get paid. As far as I understand, you get 2 months off full-pay if you’ve worked at your job for more than 6 months by the time you give birth. After that you’re also entitled to parental leave.
Miscarriage
Also, if you have a miscarriage, tell your boss. You get 5 days off for an early miscarriage, 2 weeks off for a miscarriage that happens between months 2 and 3 of a pregnancy, and 4 weeks off for a miscarriage that was later in the pregnancy. Also, if that happens to you, I’m sorry. Sending love your way.
Here are two other blogs that talk about pregnancy in Taiwan in much more detail from Spot of Sunshine and Foreigners in Taiwan.
Second Opinions, Chinese Medicine, and IVF
A lot of women in Taiwan swear by Chinese medicine for everything from getting pregnant to dealing with miscarriages. I haven’t dabbled myself, but honestly, it can’t hurt. Acupuncture in particular is supposed to be really good for things like morning sickness. So while I haven’t tried it, I know it’s cheap and available on almost every street corner, so if you want to give it a go, Taiwan’s the place to try it.
IVF is common here. There’s a good clinic called Taiwan IVF group real close to the Hsinchu HSR station if anyone’s looking for an IVF place.
Second opinions are important in Taiwan just like everywhere else in the world. Sometimes you get a doctor who just won’t listen to you or won’t help. There is no excuse in Taiwan for putting up with a doctor who isn’t listening to you. When I was dealing with health problems this year, I had to go to one clinic and then two hospitals before I found a doctor who really knew what was going on. Healthcare here is cheap, but even if it wasn’t, you can’t put a price on health.
Don’t be afraid to shop around for a good doctor, especially when it comes to female health.
Health Insurance
First of all, health insurance here is incredible. You normally get health insurance from your job. Anytime you go to a doctor, hospital, or clinic, remember to bring your ARC and health insurance card. Typically everything you do will cost next to nothing.
But if you don’t have healthcare, don’t fret. Costs here are much lower than a lot of countries because the government prevents pharmacies and doctors from charging whatever they want just to make a buck off the dying. (I’ve got a bone to pick with my home country in case you can’t tell.) As an example, I had some serious medical issues go down in Taiwan this year, which included a four-day stay in the hospital. It was going to cost me about 20,000 NTD (truly not a bad price that I was willing to pay), but after showing my health insurance card, it cost about 2,000 NTD… for four days in the hospital!! What a country.
And finally, if you are worried about quitting your job and losing your health insurance, don’t. You can read here for how to extend your ARC (and health insurance) for up to a year even if you quit your job or get fired.
