Easy access to birth control shouldn’t be a privilege today. Yet there are still plenty of obstacles that keep us women from conveniently getting the contraception we need. For those without health insurance, the high cost of medications is one…
While state health departments and progressive nonprofit organizations offer affordable sexual and reproductive services, it can take longer to get birth control than you might expect. Especially in highly populated cities like New York, landing an appointment at Planned Parenthood can take months, and their Sexual Health Clinics mainly include STI and HIV testing, but not easy access to all forms of birth control.
So where’s a gal to turn for a birth control prescription asap?
Thankfully online pharmacies like Nurx are making it a whole lot easier to access BC with or without insurance. Nurx’ quick sign up process makes it exceedingly easy to get a prescription delivery scheduled for just a few short days.
Curious how it works, and if it can work for you? In this article, we’ll review Nurx and give you a sense of what it’s like to buy your favorite variety of birth control via their online pharmacy.
First of all, what is Nurx?
Nurx (pronounced “Nu-arr-ex”) is an online telemedicine startup for sexual health prescriptions. Founded by Hans Gangeskar and Dr. Edvard Engesaeth, this startup has been around since 2015 and raised nearly $100m from prominent venture capitalists.
After its conception, Nurx quickly built a team of respected physicians, business managers, and experts in the medical field. Combining convenience and quality care, Nurx now serves over 200,000 patients nationwide.
The Age of the Online Pharmacy
Before this current age of online access to doctors, it was a whole lot less convenient to get the pills you need, especially for those looking to start taking birth control for the first time. In the old days, you’d have to schedule an appointment and go into a doctor’s office to get a prescription. If that particular form of birth control didn’t work well for you, you’d be back to square one, scheduling another in-person appointment. Then take more time out of your weekday to go to try and find the right medication for you.
Thankfully, services like Nurx are changing that process. Nurx gives you access to a medical team of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to review your needs, write prescriptions, and answer any questions that you have. Lacking the time to visit a gynecologist in person holds many back from getting prescriptions, but the process of getting medications through Nurx — from the moment you submit your request to when meds arrive on your doorstep — usually takes just three to five business days.
Whether you have a question about your dose or are concerned about potential side effects, you can always reach out to Nurx through the patient portal or via phone. That call or text will be promptly returned by a licensed nurse, and since Nurx has providers licensed in 29 states, there’s a good chance they’ll have a care provider to serve your local area.
Does Nurx service my area?
Currently servicing 29 states, it’s important to check whether Nurx is available where you live before getting too excited about the service. You can check here, as well as get on an email list to be notified when they launch in your state.
How Nurx helps you find the right birth control
As a hormonal medication, birth control pills can have drastically different effects on different women. The pill that your best friend takes — or even that your sister takes — are likely to trigger unwanted side effects for your body. This is why it’s vitally important to have a trusted medical professional to help you find the right birth control method for you.
With online, anytime access to a medical team, Nurx gives you the freedom to get your questions answered right away. Side effects can come on suddenly, and it can be tricky to tell which effects are normal and which are not. With the help and guidance offered by Nurx, you can say goodbye to the guessing game and find the medication that aligns with your chemistry.
Nurx offers more than 100 different types of birth control, with both generic and name-brand pills available. With such a broad range of options, it’s possible to experiment with different types of pills and find the one that makes your body feel its best.
Nurx Delivers Medications Right to Your Door
With Nurx, you can get your birth control delivered to your door, for free. This eliminates the need for those inconvenient, last-minute trips to the pharmacy (that we know all too well). Plus, with automatic refills, you don’t have to ever worry about missing a dose should you forget when running low.
The medications that you take should be your business (not your mailman’s). Nurx respects your privacy by making all of its packaging discreet. You’ll know when your birth control arrives, but no one else has to.
How much does Nurx cost?
Now that we’ve covered the convenience that Nurx has to offer, you may be wondering: how does pricing stack up to a traditional pharmacy?
Whether or not you have insurance, it’s likely that Nurx will either save you money on birth control or keep the cost the same. With insurance, most birth control pills on Nurx cost $0, and without, most brands cost just $15/month.
A lack of price transparency is a widespread issue in healthcare today. So it’s worth emphasizing that Nurx provides clear pricing (both with and without insurance) for all of the medications that they offer. No more sticker shock or out-of-the-blue bills when it comes to your birth control!
Does Nurx Offer Services Besides Birth Control Pills?
You bet! Nurx offers a range of sexual health services beyond birth control to keep you healthy and give you peace of mind in case of the unexpected. The complete list includes:
- Birth control (including the patch, the ring, and the shot in addition to the pill)
- Emergency contraception (aka Plan B or the morning after pill)
- STI home testing kits
- Genital herpes treatments
- HIV PREP
- HPV at-home screening tests
Nurx vs TwentyEight vs Pandia Health: What's the best online birth control service?
While we’re impressed by Nurx and the services that they offer, there’s no denying that this space is crowded with competitors. How does Nurx hold up when you compare it with similar services? Let’s find out: