Birth control options are easily available in some countries and many states in the U.S., but not in others. In some communities, birth control pills may even be sold over-the-counter without a prescription. The best way to prepared is to check with your health care provider. What you talk about is confidential.
If you can talk with a parent about your health needs, that makes the process much easier, but some girls don’t have that type of relationship. Think about birth control before you have sex with a partner. Before you start birth control, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with either your primary care provider (PCP) or at a local family planning clinic to talk about the best and most effective birth control options for you. For example: Some girls prefer to take a pill every day while others find long acting birth control a better choice. Next, you’ll need to ask your provider about the options available where you live and whether visits to the doctor are included on insurance statements sent to your parents. Some states have set up special ways to keep medical information private, especially for girls 18 to 26 years old when they are still on their parents’ insurance plan but clinical care should be confidential (private). One option is to call your parent’s health insurance company and ask questions such as: “Can my parents see what kind of services I’m getting (such as birth control) on their insurance statement?” In most states, health care providers can prescribe birth control without parental knowledge; however, there may be some situations or states that may require your parent’s OK. Talk to your provider about their policies and if you can access birth control at no cost or pay privately for your birth control. You may also decide that it’s easier to have a conversation with one or both parents. They may actually be happy that you are being responsible and taking an active role in your health care. Staying healthy and reducing your risk of STDs is also important so use condoms always. It’s also important to know that birth control hormones are also a treatment for a wide variety of symptoms including irregular periods, menstrual cramps, and acne, not just birth control.
State policies re: Teen’s rights regarding accessing birth control- privacy laws:
https://sexetc.org/action-center/sex-in-the-states/
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.