How to use Nurx:
- Go to the app Nurx online.
- Fill out a questionnaire either on your own or with the help of a doctor.
- Choose the type of birth control you want.
- The information is then sent to a partner doctor who writes a prescription, then Nurx fills and mails it.
- Your pills, patch or ring arrive within a day or two, and refills can be scheduled automatically.
- With insurance, the whole process including shipping is free. Without insurance, it as as low as $15 a month.
Nearly 80 percent of women in the U.S. use birth control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) Now, women can access the pill easier.
As of August, Hoosiers can download the app Nurx to get a birth control prescription and have the contraception delivered to their front door.
“I personally like going to a doctor. I feel like it is comforting for me,” said Dorien Scheets, freshman undecided major. “For convenience sake, I think it is very, very nice because having to get refills is kind of a hassle.”
By filling out a basic medical questionnaire and exchanging a few messages with a doctor, women can get birth control through Nurx. No physical examination with a doctor is required.
Nurx's web-app asks many of the same questions a doctor does during an in-person visit for birth control, such as queries about weight, age, smoking, existing medical conditions and medications.
“I know a lot of students worry, especially young women, that they are frowned upon for trying to get birth control,” Scheets said. “If it were something that they didn’t feel embarrassed about but could do on their phone, I think they would be more apt to get on birth control so that they would be making sure they are safe and taking care of themselves.”
Nurx offers a variety of brands of birth control including pills, the ring, the patch and emergency contraception including Plan B and Ella. Women can choose the type of birth control they want, or have a licensed doctor working with Nurx make a recommendation for them.
“I am sure people are scared to go see a doctor. Maybe if the family didn’t know about it, they could get birth control easier,” said Dan Council, freshman natural resources major. “However, a con is not seeing a doctor. If you notice a problem you should take it upon yourself to see a doctor.”
After choosing a birth control type and brand, women can enter their insurance information for review. A doctor will issue and fill the prescription which will then be delivered to their home.
“I don’t know if a report is a good way to see whether you get hormones or not,” said Dena Mullins, instructor of health science. “If a women is having some sort of complication from taking hormones — women die from birth control wrongly. My concern is that the app could help this increase if women don’t see a doctor.”
Birth control can increase the risk for breast, cervical and liver cancer according to the National Cancer Institute. Seeing a physician in person, Mullins said, would help prevent complications.
“I like the idea because it’s convenient, but it’s too bad there isn’t a requirement in there to see a physician,” Mullins said. “You still need to see your regular healthcare provider or gynecologist before you take any medication.”
Currently, Nurx is only authorized to deliver in California, Washington, New York, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Maryland and, now, Indiana.
The minimum age requirements for birth control vary by state, but the patient must be at least 12-years-old to be considered for the Nurx app.
Contact Liz Rieth with comments at ejrieth@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @liz_rieth.
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