- Abortion legal status
- Legal
- Emergency contraception
- Over the counter
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: travelladies.app, thegeorgianguide.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- Georgia's general emergency number is 112; the dedicated national hotline for domestic and sexual violence support is 116 006.
- Kutaisi has its own state-backed crisis centre for survivors of violence against women/domestic violence — it offers free counselling, medical referral and legal aid, but is not a shelter (no overnight housing).
- Emergency contraception and regular birth control pills are both sold over-the-counter in Georgian pharmacies without a prescription — but emergency contraception is usually kept behind the counter, so you'll need to ask for it by name (e.g. Postinor, Escapelle) rather than finding it on a shelf.
- IUD insertion requires a clinic/gynecologist visit rather than an over-the-counter purchase; pricing for the procedure itself can vary and should be confirmed directly with a Kutaisi clinic.
- We could not confirm whether a contraceptive implant is stocked or fitted anywhere in Georgia — if you rely on an implant, sort out replacement/refill logistics before your trip or via a private clinic consultation, don't assume local availability.
- Georgia's abortion law is notably more liberal than in several neighboring countries — first-trimester abortion is available on request up to 12 weeks, not just for medical reasons.
- Outside Tbilisi, English-language OBGYN care is less consistently available; bringing a Georgian-speaking friend, host, or translator app to a Kutaisi appointment is genuinely useful.
- If you need care beyond routine first-trimester services (e.g. second-trimester procedures needing medical/social approval), be prepared that you may be referred from Kutaisi to a larger facility or to Tbilisi.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Local and visiting women describe Kutaisi as a calm, low-harassment city, with crimes against tourists, including women traveling alone, described as rare. At a country level, unwanted male attention such as staring or attempts at conversation is the most commonly reported annoyance rather than anything more serious, and this is usually resolved with firm politeness.
Walking Alone at Night
Women who live in or have visited Kutaisi report feeling safe walking around the city, including back to their apartment in the late evening, and describe the streets as calm and the locals as protective rather than threatening. That said, several women note it's still sensible to stay alert and a little more cautious once walking alone after dark, especially away from the main streets.
Taxis and Ride-hailing
Across Georgia, travel guides consistently recommend using the ride-hailing app Bolt over hailing an unmarked street taxi, citing clearer pricing, driver tracking, and fewer overcharging incidents, and Bolt is confirmed to operate in Kutaisi as well as Tbilisi and Batumi. Occasional issues reported with street taxis elsewhere in the country include drivers taking longer routes or not ending the trip promptly, which Bolt's in-app trip tracking helps avoid.
Practical Precautions
Dressing modestly is commonly advised to avoid drawing extra attention, particularly outside the main tourist areas, and this is echoed specifically for Kutaisi as a way to respect local customs. Standard precautions recommended nationally include staying aware of surroundings in quiet or unlit areas, keeping a bag zipped in crowded spots, and sharing your itinerary with someone if heading into more rural or remote areas around the city.
Abortion Law
- Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Country
- Georgia
- Process Notes
- Georgian law (under the Law on Health Care / reproductive health regulations) requires abortions to be performed by a licensed obstetrician-gynecologist in a licensed hospital or clinic setting; historically this has included a mandatory pre-procedure counseling step. Georgia's framework is one of the more permissive in the region compared to many neighboring or former-Soviet states, and abortion has been legal and state-regulated (with periodic pregnancy-limit adjustments) since the Soviet era rather than being a recent legal change.
Access Routes
- Public maternity hospitals and licensed private clinics/OBGYN practices provide first-trimester abortion care in major cities, including Kutaisi.
- Medication (pharmaceutical) abortion is available through licensed OBGYN providers within the legal pregnancy window; it is not a self-managed over-the-counter option.
- For second-trimester (12–22 week) procedures requiring medical/social approval, referral to a larger regional hospital (Kutaisi) or a Tbilisi tertiary facility is common, since these cases need specialist sign-off.
Abortion Time Limits
- On Request
- Up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, available on request without needing to state a medical or social reason.
- After 22 Weeks
- Not permitted except in narrow life-threatening medical emergencies.
- Extended Limit
- Between 12 and 22 weeks, permitted only for defined medical indications (risk to the woman's health/life, fetal anomaly) or documented social indications, subject to physician/commission approval.
OB-GYN Options
- General Availability
- Kutaisi, as Georgia's third-largest city, has multiple hospitals with obstetrics-gynecology and maternity departments, including at least two dedicated maternity hospitals serving both the city and surrounding Imereti region.
- Named Options Confidence Note
- We were not able to confirm, at the time of research, a reliable list of specific named OBGYN clinics or individual doctors physically based in Kutaisi (as opposed to Tbilisi, where far more English-language and expat-oriented clinic listings exist). Rather than list unverified names, we recommend the practical routes below.
Practical Recommendations
- Ask your accommodation host or a local pharmacy (many double as informal health-navigation points) for a same-day referral to the OBGYN department of Kutaisi's main regional hospital.
- Synevo (a pan-Georgian diagnostic lab network) operates a blood-sampling/lab center in Kutaisi and can process gynecological/prenatal lab work even if the consulting OBGYN is elsewhere.
- For English-language consultations, specialized ultrasound, or procedures requiring second-trimester medical/social approval, many nomads and expats in Kutaisi travel to Tbilisi (roughly 3–4 hours by car/minibus), which has a much deeper bench of internationally trained, English-speaking OBGYNs and women's health centers.
Contraception Access
IUD
- Access
- IUDs are available in Georgia through gynecology clinics; insertion requires a clinical procedure/appointment rather than an over-the-counter purchase.
- Cost Example
- GEL 34
This is an older reference figure (a Tbilisi clinic's insertion fee, patient supplies the IUD itself) and is NOT confirmed as current or Kutaisi-specific — treat as a rough historical benchmark only, not a reliable current quote.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
Implant
- Legal Status
- illegal
- Note
- Availability status is unclear/unconfirmed — no reliable source could confirm whether contraceptive implants (e.g. Jadelle, Implanon) are stocked or offered in Georgia, including Kutaisi. Classified conservatively; travellers relying on an implant should not assume it can be sourced or serviced locally and should plan refills/replacement before arrival or via a private clinic consultation.
Birth Control Pills
- Access
- Sold over-the-counter at pharmacies without a prescription, with no age restriction.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Brands Reported Available
- Brands historically reported available include Ovral, Microgynon and Rigevidon; exact current stock varies by pharmacy.
- Note
- No independently verified current per-pack price for Kutaisi specifically was found; ask pharmacy directly.
Emergency Contraception
- Access
- Available over-the-counter at pharmacies without a prescription; not typically displayed on open shelves — you generally need to ask the pharmacist directly, as it is kept behind the counter.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Common Brands
- Levonorgestrel-based brands such as Postinor and Escapelle are the commonly available type nationwide.
- Estimated Cost
- GEL 20
This is a rough current-day estimate, not a directly sourced current price — the only documented figure found was from 2010 (roughly €5.40 equivalent at the time). Confirm actual price at the pharmacy counter.
- Awareness Context
- National survey data has found very low general awareness and correct-usage knowledge of emergency contraception among Georgian women, particularly outside major cities, so pharmacy staff and locals may be less familiar with it than in Western Europe or North America.
Emergency And Crisis Resources
- General Emergency Number
- 112 (nationwide police/medical/fire emergency line for Georgia)
Local Crisis Center
- Location
- Kutaisi (Imereti region)
- Services
- Free psychological and social rehabilitation support, medical services, and legal aid including counselling and advocacy; it is not a residential shelter, so it does not provide housing.
- Description
- Kutaisi has a dedicated state-supported crisis centre for survivors of violence against women, domestic violence, sexual abuse and trafficking, set up with UN Women support.
- Eligibility Note
- Crisis centres serve both those with formal legal 'victim' status and those without it; only those with victim status can additionally access a residential shelter (located elsewhere in Georgia, not Kutaisi).
National Domestic Violence And Sexual Violence Hotline
- Number
- 116 006
- Description
- A nationwide, government-run telephone hotline for victims of domestic violence and violence against women, including sexual violence.
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 Kutaisi
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.