So you’ve been thinking for weeks about sex and you decided you’re ready. You heard condoms aren’t that effective (98%) but they can also break, so you want to try birth control. The only problem is you’re scared to tell your parents. You don’t know true fear until you have considered telling your parents you are considering having sex. It happens to us all. Sex is a topic that is still very scary for most teens. Many have reglioius parents who would send them away if they mentioned sex, or parents who are too scared to talk to their children about sex. Teens end up with nowhere to go for information on sex (except sex-ed classes that don’t teach much).
Birth control is a great option if you want to avoid pregnancy, it’s 99.9% effective and comes in a pill, patch, shot and many other options.
Birth control doesn’t only prevent pregnancy but it can clear your acne too and make your PMS less severe during periods. People don’t just take birth control for sex, they use it for other things. Before you even make the steps to get birth control, I want you to think if you’re doing it for the right reasons. Are you being pressured into getting it by a boyfriend or girlfriend? You shouldn’t get it then, because birth control is a big decision and has side affects. Now, if you’re doing it for the right reasons, here is how you can get it without a parent knowing.
You’re lucky, it is illegal for clinic workers or health care providers to notify your parents that you were at a clinic. It’s called a confidently agreement. There is no age limit to get birth control but it is advised that you should have at least started your period before you can use it.
So where can I get it? You can get a prescription from your doctor, a clinic or your local Planned Parenthood. Find your local one here. Without a prescription you can not get it, birth control is not over the counter.
Is it free? Many clinics provide birth control at a lower cost than drug stores. Planned Parenthood offers birth control in a reduced price and sometimes free. If you have insurance then sometimes your insurance covers the entire cost.
Birth control without insurance can turn out to be pricey because you may sometimes need an exam before you can get the prescription, and the exam can be expensive. To save money, it would be best to talk to your parents. Additionally, the birth control does get billed to your parents insurance and they will see it on their statements. As hard as it may be, they want you to be safe at the end of the day. The pill does not protect against STI/STD’S either, so be careful.
Another option is ordering birth control through apps. Nurd is an app that allows you to get a three-month supply of birth control quickly. How quick? Just a few minutes. It allows you to pick the brand of pills you want, or you can allow a doctor to choose for you. After you pick a pill, it will ask you a few questions about your health. Last step is you upload you ID and insurance. Depending on what insurance you have, you can get it free. Currently this is only available in California and New York. Check out other websites such as Pill Club and PRJKT RUBY that are available in most states.
Plan B is a good birth control to use once in case of an emergency. Plan B is the morning-after pill and you can buy it at a drug store over the counter. It’s expensive, as it is only for emergencies. It’s 95% effective.
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