What Not to Pack When Moving to Shanghai: the Pill.

When we contemplate the move to Shanghai, the natural urge is to cram as many of our favourite brands as possible into our suitcases: reader, this not necessary….in some cases at least.

This series of articles will let you know where you can find those staples that you thought you needed to bring (but could have left at home).

Item two on the agenda: the contraceptive pill.

Now, this article is written with a caveat: you may not find your preferred brand of contraceptive pill or even a brand that is suitable for you here in Shanghai. Many, myself included, have found that some of the more readily available brands in this country are not appropriate, causing aches, pains, depression, mood swings, and all manner of other side effects. Before you move to China, do check the best you can to see if your brand is available here. If you are able to make a preliminary visit to the country before your move, stop by a few pharmacies and see what is available.

The great thing about buying the Pill in this country is that it is freely available over the counter. There is no need to visit a doctor and get a prescription. Generally available brands include: Marvelon (probably the most readily available brand in the country), Yasmin, Diane and Minulet.  

When you go into the pharmacy, you need to ask for避孕药 (bì yùn yào). This refers to the contraceptive pill specifically. You could also say节制生育 (jíe zhì shēng yù) but this refers to ‘birth control’ more generally and as such would include condoms, pills, IUD’s, etc. The morning after pill, 事后避孕药 (shì hòu bì yùn yào), is also easily available and a well-known brand in China is Yù Tíng, 毓婷. You can read about it out here (in English!):.

Check out the comments section on this very useful blog post for further information including some individual experiences with particular brands. For instance, Anon in Shanghai writes: “There are 2 main OTC birth control pills at the pharmacies in Shanghai: Diane and Marvelon. Diane is supposed to clear up acne and function as a method of birth control. Marvelon is primarily more for birth control. I have tried both and have had mixed results (Diane actually gave me bad skin, which I’ve never had before; and Marvelon always gives me breakthrough bleeding-4th month now). You can go to a Western hospital and get prescribed birth control pills. You just ask the front desk for the gynecology department, say you’re a new patient and schedule an appointment with a doctor. This consultation will have a one time 600-700 yuan fee. Thereafter, you can get prescription birth control like Yasmin, etc. You can also try going to a Chinese doctor for a much cheaper consultation fee and get birth control.”

The blog’s author also links to this brilliant resource which can help you to choose the right pill without a doctor: http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm. There is a particularly useful section towards the end called “What pills would be better for…?”. As you know, different pills have different formulations of hormones and, while one mix might cause you to break out in pimples or result in breakthrough bleeding, another mix might be just right. You may have to channel Goldilocks for a year or more before you find a suitable contraceptive pill for you.

Here are the names in Chinese of some of the more popular brands:
Marvelon - Mā fù lóng - 妈富隆
Yasmin – Yōu sī míng - 优思明
Diane-35 – Dá yīng sān shí wŭ - 达英-35
Minulet – Mĭn dìng băo - 敏定偶

To get a better idea of what to bring, check out these forum posts:
Things for women wives girls to bring to china,
what household items to ship

Links:
www.yousiming.com
www.marvelon.com.cn