- Abortion legal status
- Legal
- Emergency contraception
- Over the counter
- Emergency number
- 123
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: verogoessolo.com, cartagenaexplorer.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- In Colombia, emergency contraception and regular birth-control pills can be bought over the counter at any pharmacy without a prescription — no doctor's visit needed, which is convenient for travelers.
- The national hotline 155 is free, confidential, and works from any phone across the country, including Cartagena — worth saving in your phone before you need it.
- If you're not enrolled in Colombia's EPS health insurance system (most short-term nomads aren't), IUD/implant procedures will be private-pay; Profamilia is generally a lower-cost, reputable option for reproductive health services.
- After a sexual assault, going through Medicina Legal / Fiscalía promptly preserves options for both a forensic exam and free follow-up medical care, including emergency contraception and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis.
- Colombia has one of the most permissive abortion laws in Latin America — legal on request up to 24 weeks, and legal beyond that for health, rape/incest, or fetal non-viability reasons — but real-world access can still depend on which specific clinic or doctor you see, so it's worth calling ahead to confirm a provider actually offers the service rather than assuming every clinic does.
- As a non-resident without Colombian health insurance (EPS), expect to pay out-of-pocket private rates for any gynecological or abortion-related care in Cartagena; get a specific quote directly from the clinic before the appointment.
- If language is a concern, ask specifically for an English-speaking OBGYN when booking, as this varies by clinic and isn't guaranteed even at larger private hospitals.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Verbal street harassment, mainly catcalling and shouted compliments, is reported as a real and fairly common experience for solo foreign women in Cartagena, but sources describe it as typically non-aggressive and rarely escalating beyond words. It is most noted in busy tourist zones like the Old Town and Getsemani where there is heavy foot traffic, and is described as manageable with confident body language and by ignoring unwanted advances. Some travel writers note this pattern exists across Colombian cities generally, not just Cartagena specifically.
Walking Alone at Night — Where It's Considered Fine
The main tourist corridors of the Walled City, Getsemani's central streets, and Bocagrande are described as busy, well-lit, and patrolled by police or tourist police well into the evening, and multiple sources say solo women generally feel comfortable walking there at night. The consistent caveat is to stick to the busy, lit main streets rather than side alleys, since even within these generally safe zones quieter side streets become emptier late at night.
Walking Alone at Night — Areas to Avoid After Dark
Local-source and travel-guide material specifically name La Matuna (the business strip between Getsemani and the Walled City) as dead and poorly suited to walking after dark, along with the darker, people-free edges of Getsemani and the route from downtown toward residential areas like Manga, El Cabrero, and Marbella. Guides also flag Chambacu, a poorer area beyond Getsemani, and the area around Bazurto Market as carrying higher robbery risk after dark. The general advice is to take a taxi or ride-hailing app rather than walk through or near these areas at night.
Taxis and Ride-hailing
The US Embassy-sourced guidance cited by travel-safety sites notes that US citizens have been killed during robberies while using taxis, and recommends ride-sharing apps as the safer alternative; InDrive, Didi, and Cabify are the apps most consistently described as working reliably in Cartagena (Uber operates in a legal gray area nationally and has limited driver availability in the city). Street taxis in Cartagena don't use meters, so fares must be agreed before the ride, and some sources note Cartagena's street taxis carry a comparatively lower scam risk than those in Bogota, though app-based options with GPS tracking and driver verification are still described as the more cautious choice, especially late at night.
Dating-app and Drink/drug-facilitated Robbery Risk
The US Embassy has documented an increase in incidents where victims, including those met through online dating apps, in bars, or nightclubs, were given sedatives such as scopolamine or benzodiazepines in food or drinks and then robbed, with some cases resulting in serious medical harm. This warning is reported for Colombia's major cities broadly, including Cartagena, Medellin, and Bogota, rather than being specific to any one Cartagena neighborhood, and the practical takeaway sources give is caution with drinks at bars and with meeting online dating matches, particularly moving quickly from a public first meeting to a private setting.
General Precautions Recommended for Solo Women
Recurring, non-alarmist advice across sources includes staying in well-reviewed accommodation in the Old Town, Getsemani, or Bocagrande with 24-hour reception, keeping bags closed and in front of you in crowded areas since pickpocketing is described as the most common risk, avoiding displaying jewelry or electronics, and going out in a group or meeting people through your accommodation for nights out rather than exploring alone late at night. These are consistent precautions rather than signs of a city considered unusually dangerous for women.
Abortion Law And OB-GYN
Abortion Law
- Country
- Colombia
- Summary
- On February 21, 2022, the Colombian Constitutional Court issued Sentencia C-055/2022, decriminalizing and effectively legalizing abortion on request up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion in Colombia is legal and available upon request, without needing to provide a reason, up to the 24th week of pregnancy, due to a ruling by the Constitutional Court on February 21, 2022. After 24 weeks, abortion remains legally available without an abortion time limit under three grounds carried over from a 2006 ruling: risk to the physical or mental health or life of the pregnant person, fetal non-viability/malformation incompatible with life, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. After 24 weeks, abortions remain available to people who qualify under the exceptions for rape and incest, fetal nonviability, or health, including mental health.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Access Routes
- The Ministry of Health issued national policy guidance in January 2023 instructing public and private healthcare entities on the procedure to follow for anyone requesting an abortion, consistent with the 2022 ruling. Access is meant to run through the standard health system (EPS-affiliated providers and private clinics), and providers who refuse care are required to refer patients elsewhere without delay. In practice, some later Constitutional Court chamber rulings (T-158/2023 and T-430/2022) created confusion by suggesting the health system 'does not have an obligation' to perform abortions before week 24 in every case, and human rights groups have warned this could let individual healthcare workers or institutions restrict access on a discretionary basis, so wait times and willingness to provide care can vary by clinic. Anyone seeking care should confirm directly with a clinic or gynecologist that abortion services (or referral) are actually offered, rather than assuming uniform access everywhere in the city.
- Abortion Time Limit
- On request/without justification up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
- Practical Note For Visitors
- Foreign nationals, including tourists and nomads, are not excluded from the legal framework — the ruling applies to 'anyone requesting' the procedure — but access in practice generally runs through being seen by a licensed OBGYN or a public/private clinic; there is no separate 'tourist' fast-track, and payment out-of-pocket is standard for anyone not enrolled in the Colombian health system.
OB-GYN Options Cartagena
- Note On Verification
- Below are hospitals/clinics with obstetrics-gynecology (ginecología y obstetricia) departments known to operate in Cartagena's central/tourist-adjacent area. Named individual doctors, current consultation prices, and same-day abortion-service availability were not independently re-verified at the time of research and should be confirmed directly by phone or via the clinic's own site before relying on them.
Facilities
Hospital Universitario Del Caribe
- Area
- Located in Cartagena's urban core.
- Type
- Major public/university-affiliated hospital
- Services
- Full obstetrics and gynecology department; general and high-risk maternity care; typically the largest public referral hospital in the Cartagena metro area.
Clínica Universitaria San Juan De Dios
- Area
- Central Cartagena.
- Type
- Private/university-affiliated clinic
- Services
- Gynecology and obstetrics consultations and inpatient maternity services.
Clínica Gestión Salud
- Area
- Central Cartagena.
- Type
- Private clinic
- Services
- Gynecology-obstetrics outpatient consultations.
Clínica Blas De Lezo
- Area
- Central Cartagena.
- Type
- Private hospital/clinic
- Services
- Gynecology and obstetrics, including maternity/delivery services.
Contraception Methods
IUD
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Price Caveat
- These are broad national private-clinic estimates, not confirmed against a current Cartagena provider price list.
- Typical Price Copper
- COP 250,000
- Typical Price Hormonal
- COP 900,000
- Access Notes
- Both copper and hormonal IUDs are available through private gynecologists, Profamilia clinics, and public health providers (EPS-affiliated) in Cartagena. Insertion requires a clinical appointment.
Implant
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Price Caveat
- National estimate; not verified against a current Cartagena-specific price list at the time of research.
- Typical Price
- COP 450,000
- Access Notes
- Contraceptive implants (e.g. Jadelle/Implanon-type) are available through private clinics and Profamilia in Colombia, requiring a minor in-office procedure.
Birth Control Pill
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Price Caveat
- Wide brand-dependent range (roughly COP 20,000–90,000/month); treat as indicative, not city-verified.
- Typical Monthly Price
- COP 45,000
- Access Notes
- Oral contraceptive pills are sold over the counter at pharmacies in Colombia without a prescription, unlike in many other countries. Pharmacists can advise on options.
Assault Hotlines And Support
Línea 155 – Orientación a Mujeres Víctimas De Violencia Basada En Género
- Number
- 155
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- 24/7
- Coverage
- National (works from any phone/operator across Colombia, including Cartagena)
- Description
- National hotline run via the Consejería Presidencial para la Equidad de la Mujer and operated by the Policía Nacional, offering confidential orientation, legal guidance, and health-service referrals for women experiencing gender-based violence. If a call describes an in-progress emergency, it is transferred to the police emergency line.
Línea 123 – Emergencias Policía Nacional
- Number
- 123
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- 24/7
- Coverage
- National (including Cartagena)
- Description
- General police/emergency dispatch line. Active or in-progress assault cases reported to the 155 line are redirected here for immediate response.
Free (public prosecutorial service)
- Name
- Fiscalía General de la Nación – Unidad de Reacción Inmediata (URI) and CAIVAS (Centro de Atención Integral a Víctimas de Abuso Sexual)
- Hours
- URI operates 24/7 for urgent reporting
- Coverage
- Cartagena has a local Fiscalía office handling sexual-assault reporting and forensic referral
- Description
- The route for formally reporting a sexual assault in Colombia; can coordinate a forensic medical exam and connect survivors to protective and legal measures.
Instituto Nacional De Medicina Legal Y Ciencias Forenses (Regional Cartagena)
- Cost
- Free for victims referred through the justice system
- Coverage
- Cartagena (Bolívar department)
- Description
- The forensic body that performs sexual-assault medical/forensic examinations needed for evidence collection and to access post-assault medical care, including emergency contraception and PEP (HIV post-exposure prophylaxis) if indicated.
Comisaría De Familia (Cartagena)
- Description
- Local family-violence office that can issue protective measures and connect survivors to psychosocial and legal support; present in Cartagena as in other Colombian municipalities.
Profamilia Cartagena
- Description
- Colombia's long-established sexual and reproductive health NGO operates a clinic in Cartagena offering confidential counseling, post-assault reproductive health care, and contraception services.
Emergency Contraception
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Price Caveat
- Price is an approximate national range (roughly COP 20,000–40,000 depending on brand/pharmacy chain); Cartagena-specific pharmacy pricing was not independently confirmed at the time of research.
- Typical Price
- COP 30,000
- Access Notes
- Emergency contraception (levonorgestrel pills, e.g. brands like Postinor-2) is sold over the counter in Colombian pharmacies without a prescription, and is also provided free at public hospitals/Fiscalía-linked care following a reported sexual assault. It's most effective the sooner it's taken after unprotected sex.
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Cartagena
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.