Women Are Getting Birth Control More Easily Through a Revolutionary New Way

A doctor's office isn't the only place to get birth control anymore. More and more women are ordering contraceptives via websites and apps, according to a report by The New York Times. At least six digital companies like Lemonaid and Nurx are providing birth control to women and are funded by private organizations and nonprofits, including Planned Parenthood. All provide pills, while some offer rings, patches, and morning-after pills. Some accept insurance, including Medicaid, while others require small fees.

"At first I didn't believe it," Susan Hashem — a 24-year-old who wanted to restart birth control pills but didn't want to miss work for a doctor's appointment — told the Times.

She came across an app called Lemonaid, and for $15, a clinician would review her medical information and send a pill prescription to the pharmacy. (Other apps deliver the pills to your door.) After answering the online questions, she said that "a doctor actually contacted me after office hours," and the next morning she was able to pick up three months of pills. For this particular app, you have to be at least 18 to receive the services, while other companies like Nurx set the age at 13.

Here's a screenshot of the Lemonaid App.

"We've seen a ridiculous amount of traffic that we're struggling to handle," Hans Gangeskar, cofounder of Nurx, a web-based app that offers prescriptions for contraceptives and ships to California and New York, told the Times.

Because a doctor still writes the prescriptions, the websites and apps don't need legislative approval — but they do have to follow telemedicine regulations, which vary by state. Still, nearly anyone with a smartphone can access the services provided by these companies, saving many women a lot of time — and for some young ladies, the embarrassment of going into a doctor's office.

These services are the latest ventures trying to lower the rate of unplanned pregnancies (which is 45 percent in the US), following states like California that let women get birth control at pharmacies. But even proponents of nonprescription contraceptives caution against the apps, saying they discourage women from going to the doctor.

Still, many women are pretty happy about the option.