New technology makes it easier than ever to obtain birth control online: Websites and apps can deliver contraception to your door, which means you can bypass the gynecologist to get a prescription. After completing a quick questionnaire—or talking to a doctor—your script is filled and often sent right to your doorstep. Another reason to get your birth control online: Many online birth control providers accept health insurance.
But which in this bevy of birth control services is right for you? Here we break down six popular ways to get birth control online so you can make an informed decision about where to order the pill, patch, contraceptive gel, and more.
1. Nurx
After you answer a short online questionnaire, Nurx's licensed medical providers will write you a prescription for the pill, patch, ring, or shot. (If it's been a minute since sex-ed class: Yes, there's a shot you can give yourself at home.) Your script is sent in a three-month supply straight to your door in discreet packaging so no one who has eyes on your mail will be the wiser. With insurance, birth control is free through Nurx; without it, you'll pay as little as $15 for the medication, and nothing for shipping.
Nurx also offers other services to help you take control of your sexual health: For example, it will send you at-home STI tests—for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C, syphilis, and more—and its medical team is available to discuss your test results. If you test positive for an STI, Nurx will write you a prescription for the appropriate medications or connect you with in-person care.
2. Lemonaid Health
Lemonaid brings a variety of medications to your doorstep, from medications to treat depression, acne, and anxiety—and, yes, to prevent pregnancy. Women 18 years and older can use the service: After filling out an online questionnaire, you'll have a consultation with a service provider, who'll write a prescription for the pill, patch, or ring. The consultation costs $25 out of pocket.
But after that you have the option to send your three-month prescription to your local pharmacy, where you can use your health insurance to cover the costs. You also have the option to ship your prescription to your home; delivery is free, but you'll have to pay for the cost of the medication.
3. Prjkt Ruby
Prjkt Ruby helps you get birth control online and supports a good cause. Here's how it works: You'll fill out a short questionnaire and select one of the oral contraceptive options. A physician will approve your prescription, or if they have questions, schedule a video call. You'll pay $20 a month for your prescription, and shipping is free—though, you can expedite it for a fee.
Prjkt Ruby also offers emergency contraception, which is always shipped for free—no matter how quickly you need it.
And for every birth control prescription you fill, Prjkt Ruby will make a 25-cent donation to organizations that support access to contraception for women in the U.S. and around the world.
4. Pill Club
While its name might imply that it offers only one form of birth control, the Pill Club dispenses a variety of contraceptives—including the ring, female condoms, and emergency contraception—from 120 brands. After you fill out an online questionnaire, a medical team member will write you a prescription that meets your needs and it'll be shipped to your door, monthly or every three months, whichever works best for you. You'll be kept up to date on the process by text message.
The Pill Club accepts insurance; if you don't have insurance, a monthly supply of the pill starts at $9, according to its website. (And you'll pay $15 for the medical team's consultation costs.)
5. Twentyeight
Twentyeight offers more than 100 brands of birth control; methods include the pill, patch, ring, and shot. Its online medical questionnaire takes about five minutes to fill out, but if you want to speak with a doctor, you can schedule a phone call or text one of its providers. You'll get a prescription within 24 hours, and—depending on the method—can get up to 12 doses in a single delivery.
Free shipping is as fast as three business days—and with insurance, you'll pay nothing for your prescription. (Without, fees start at $18 per pill pack, $150 per ring, and $170 per three patches.)
6. SimpleHealth
Depending on the state in which you live, you can use Simple Health to get a birth control prescription—including the pill, patch, or ring—starting at 13 years old. You'll fill out an online questionnaire and pay a $20 consultation fee to have a doctor review your information and write you a prescription. With health insurance, most birth control costs you nothing; without it, SimpleHealth has options that start at $8, and shipping is always free.
SimpleHealth also offers a comprehensive educational blog to help you understand what various forms of birth control do—and don't—protect you from and answer your sexual health questions, such as whether birth control will make you gain weight.
