India

Quick note for newcomers: India has a huge public health system and an even larger private one. Public hospitals provide free or very low-cost care to citizens, but foreigners generally pay out of pocket at public facilities, and public hospitals are often crowded and stretched. Most newcomers who can afford it use the private sector, which in cities is high quality and inexpensive by Western standards. Pharmacies (chemists) are everywhere and stock condoms, the pill, and emergency contraception directly. Private health insurance is strongly recommended.

What to expect from the system: Quality varies enormously — from world-class private hospitals in major cities to under-resourced, overcrowded public clinics with long waits and possible medicine shortages. In rural areas, services are thinner. It helps to have private insurance or cash, and to identify a good private clinic or hospital in your city for anything beyond routine needs.

Need to talk to someone now? For the morning-after pill, condoms, or the pill, go to any pharmacy — no prescription needed. For women facing violence, call the Women Helpline 181 (free, nationwide). In an emergency, call 112.

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