A new study by investigators at Washington University reports that providing birth control to
women at no cost substantially reduces unplanned pregnancies
and cuts abortion rates by a range of 62 to 78 percent compared to the national rate.
Why is birth control free?
Because of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare),
most insurance plans must cover all methods of birth control at no cost to you
, including the pill. However, some plans only cover certain brands of pills or generic versions. Your health insurance provider can tell you which types of birth control they pay for.
Why should birth control be covered?
The nonpartisan Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that birth control be covered as
women's preventive care because it is fundamental to improving not only women's health
, but the health of their families as well. Medical research has demonstrated this fact for decades.
Are birth control pills free?
Contraception services are free and confidential
, including for people under 16 years old. This means the doctor or nurse won't tell your parents or anyone else, as long as they believe you're mature enough to understand the information and decisions involved.
Why taking birth control is bad?
Even though birth control pills are very safe, using the combination pill can slightly increase your risk of health problems. Complications are rare, but they can be serious. These include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and liver tumors. In very rare cases, they
can lead to death
.
Can you get birth control without a doctor?
A California law gives
women access to birth control without a doctor's prescription by allowing pharmacists to prescribe instead
.
Is birth control hard to get?
Hormonal birth control has been around for decades, and top medical experts think it should be sold over the counter. But
getting a prescription can still be difficult for people
in the United States. At least 100 other countries allow women to get hormonal birth control without a prescription.
Does Hobby Lobby pay for birth control?
Hobby Lobby is an arts and crafts company founded by billionaire David Green and owned by the Evangelical Christian Green family with about 21,000 employees. It provided health insurance covering the contraceptives Plan-B and Ella until it dropped its coverage in 2012, the year it filed its lawsuit.
Is birth control pills 100 percent effective?
The pill has the
potential to be 99% effective at preventing pregnancy
if you take it without fail — meaning you don't forget to take the pill for even a day or two. However, taking the pill perfectly can be difficult, which is why nine out of 100 women who use the pill will have an unintended pregnancy every year.
Does birth control stop your period?
Can I use birth control pills to delay or stop my period?
Yes, you can
. Birth control pills were once only packaged as 21 days of active hormone pills and seven days of inactive pills. While you take the inactive pills, menstrual-like bleeding occurs.
How long does it take for the pill to work?
Combination pills contain two hormones — estrogen and progestin — that prevent ovulation. If a person takes the first dose within 5 days of their period starting, it is effective immediately. If they start at any other time, the pill
takes 7 days
to work.
Can you buy birth control over the counter?
As of now, the only available
over-the-counter birth control pills
are for emergency
contraception
.
You
need a doctor's prescription to
get birth control pills
(either progestin-only
pills
, combination
pills
, or extended cycle
pills
).
Can you get birth control pills at Walmart?
Most drugstores and grocery stores such as Walgreens, CVS, and
Walmart offer OTC birth control in stores or online
. If you're looking for a particular brand and can't find it in the store, try the store's website where there's often a larger selection. OTC birth control options are nonhormonal.
Does birth control make you thick?
It's rare, but some women do gain a little bit of weight when they start taking birth control pills. It's often a temporary side effect that's due to fluid retention, not extra fat. A review of 44 studies showed
no evidence that birth control pills caused weight gain in most women
.
Can birth control weaken my immune system?
Hormones' Effects on the Body
T-cells help the body respond to different invaders, like bacteria and viruses. Additionally, hormonal birth control
can suppress the gonadotropins
, hormones secreted in the pituitary gland. All of this can mean chaos for your immune system.
What are the disadvantages of birth control pills?
The most common side effects are
spotting or bleeding between periods
(this is more common with progestin-only pills), sore breasts, nausea, or headaches. But these usually go away after 2 or 3 months, and they don't happen to everyone who takes the pill. Birth control shouldn't make you feel sick or uncomfortable.
