Page Text: Hormonal birth control has the benefit of birth control plus the potential benefit of hormones (including menstrual cycle regulation and reduced hormonal acne, to name a few).
Shot
What it is: The shot is a trimonthly injection of the synthetic hormone progestin, which keeps ovulation from occurring.
Available OTC: In some states, only if you have a prescription.
Available online: Yes
Prescription needed: Yes
Ring
What it is: The ring is a 2-inch band that gets inserted into the vagina for 3 weeks at a time, where it gradually releases pregnancy-stopping hormones.
Available OTC: In some states, only if you have a prescription.
Available online: Yes
Prescription needed: Yes
Patch
What it is: The patch gets stuck to your bod like a sticker where it releases a stream of estrogen and progestin until it’s replaced a week later.
Available OTC: In some states, only if you have a prescription.
Available online: Yes
Prescription needed: Yes
Implant
What it is: A matchstick-shaped rod, the implant gets inserted under the skin of the arm where it releases ovulation-stopping progestin.
Available OTC: No
Prescription needed: Yes
Pill
What it is: The pill is a daily medication that contains just progestin (minipill) or progestin and estrogen (combination pill) to stop ovulation.
Available OTC: In some states, only if you have a prescription.
Available online: Yes
Prescription needed: No
Hormonal IUD
What it is: Hormonal IUDs are inserted into the uterus where they release an itty-bitty bit of ovulation-stopping progestin until they’re removed 3 to 5 years later.
Available OTC: No
Prescription needed: Yes
Emergency contraceptive (EC) pills ≠ birth control
While highly effective when taken properly (within 72 hours after sex without a barrier method), EC pills shouldn’t be used as routine birth control.
“It’s an effective fallback, but it’s nowhere near as effective as the birth control options,” says G. Thomas Ruiz, MD , OB-GYN dead at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.
Plus, he says, “It’s a very high dose of hormones, so taking it regularly probably won’t make you feel very good.”
Cool, so you’ve either decided that using birth control is in your best interest or are interested in learning more. But what’s the first step?
Here’s what folks with and without insurance need to know.
Local health departments
Most city and county health departments will be able to help you determine your most effective birth control methods and help you access those options.
Typically, an appointment costs $10 to $25 dollars, during which you’ll get a consultation with a physician and get a birth control prescription.
In the case of an implant, shot, or IUD, you may be able to receive the birth control during that very appointment.
Find your local health department via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
. Then, call them up to find out what birth control options they offer (if any) and for what cost.
Planned Parenthood locations
Planned Parenthood clinics accept Medicaid and most health insurance plans.
And if you don’t have insurance? Don’t worry. These clinics will often provide a discount on birth control depending on income.
Find a Planned Parenthood clinic near you here . (FYI: They offer IRL and URL appointments!)
Nonprofit organizations
There are a number of nonprofit orgs that offer free and lower-cost birth control options for all folks regardless of their insurance situation.
To find one near you, try Googling “low cost birth control near me” or “Title X family planning clinic in [insert your city here].”
College and university health centers
Many colleges and universities offer low-cost birth control options for their students. (Yes, including students without insurance.)
To find out if your school’s health center does, ring them up and ask.
LGBTQ+ centers
Many cities have LGBTQ+ centers that offer family planning services. Others don’t offer those services themselves but keep a directory of local LGBTQ-friendly providers that do.
Find your local LGBTQ+ center using the CenterLink LGBT Community Center Member Directory . Enter your location, find the community center nearest you, and call them up to ask about birth control services.
State-by-state highlights
Wanna know exactly where to go? Scroll down for our roundup, where we’ve identified a clinic offering free or low-cost contraceptives at the top, middle, and bottom region of each state.
If you’re in the Northeast
Connecticut
In the Nutmeg state, people of any age can get prescription birth control without parental or guardian permission.
Plus, people of any age can get barrier methods like condoms or EC pills at local pharmacies.
Insurance providers are required to cover:
prescription birth control