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South Africans in Germany

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Women’s Health

Contraception

Contraception is available at pharmacies, but you will need a prescription from your gynaecologist for birth control pills, IUD’s and diaphragms. 
Emergency contraception is also available at pharmacies and you do not need a prescription for that.
Public Insurance (GVK)  does not cover contraception costs

Maternity

Public insurance GVK, covers all maternity costs, but some private insurers only offer it as an additional cost, so make sure you know what is covered by your plan.

Maternity Terminology

We created a searchable table to help you look up the German words you might need during and after your pregnancy.

Having a baby in Germany

Thinking of starting or expanding your family in Germany? Luckily the standard of German healthcare is very high and Germany has great maternity and paternity

Screening

Public Insurance (GVK) covers annual screenings for cervical cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. You will usually  need a referral (die Überweisung) from your GP, unless you are over 50, then you will get an invitation letter every 2 years for a Mammogram

Finding a Doctor

Finding a doctor can be a challenge especially if you are looking for an English-speaking doctor.
Specialists in gynaecology and obstetrics are called “Frauenarzte” and “Gynäkologe” and are the central contact persons for gender-specific diseases and other women’s concerns, such as Pregnancy, menstruation, family planning, contraception and preventive care.
The following websites can help in your search

Vocabulary

EnglishGerman
birth control pillsdie Antibabypille
Hormonesdie Hormone
Infertilitydie Unfruchtbarkeit
coildie Spirale
condomdas Kondom
breastsdie Brüste
vaginadie Scheide
Pelvic floorder Beckenboden
uterusdie Gebärmutter
menstruationdie Menstruation
Thyroiddie Schilddrüse
fallopian tubedie Eileiter
pregnancydie Schwangerschaft
eggdas Ei
induced labourdie eingeleitete Geburt
waters brokendie Fruchtblase ist geplatzt
placentadie Plazenta
episiotomyder Dammschnitt
epiduraldie Epiduralanästhesie
cervixder Gebärmutterhals
Mammogramdas Mammogram
UltrasoundUltraschalluntersuchung
Pap SmearPap-Abstrich
Gynaecologistder Gynägeloge
die Gynägelogin
der Frauenarzt
die Frauenarztin
Endocrinologydie Endokrinologie

Resources on the web

 

Related content

Having a baby in Germany

Thinking of starting or expanding your family in Germany? Luckily the standard of German healthcare is very high and Germany has great maternity and paternity

Visiting a doctor

When I first came to Germany, I was fortunate to still frequently travel back to SA, so I did all my check-ups there and tried

Emergency Contacts

The following numbers can be dialled in an emergency, either from a landline or mobile phone. 112The national emergency number. This can be used for