Birth control? There’s an app for that too

On top of all the things you can do with your phone, add getting birth control. An article from the New York Times highlights the new apps and websites available to women that make it possible to get prescription contraceptives without going to the doctor.

With apps including Lemonaid, Virtuwell, Maven, Nurx and Planned Parenthood Care, women now have the “easy as a click on a button” option to receive birth control. Developed as a way to combat the country's high rate of unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions, these apps have come up from under the radar of those in politics wanting to limit women’s healthcare.

Health experts hope that the introduction of these apps, with the ease of use and target of the younger generation, will encourage more women to start or restart using contraception as well as being a convenience for women already on birth control.

These apps, produced by both private companies and nonprofits, are able to provide prescriptions written by physicians after women answer questions about their health or by video. Some accept insurance, including Medicaid, and some charge a small fee, usually around $15. Many kinds of birth control are available from birth control pills, patches, rings and morning-after pills.

Since the apps require no legislative approval because clinicians still write the prescriptions, the apps must follow telemedicine regulations which vary by state and can only prescribe in states where their clinicians are licensed. More states are following the example set by California and Oregon, which recently implemented laws allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives in drugstores, to further expand access to this innovative way of care to women around the nation.