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Taking care of your sexual health is absolutely vital, but our broken healthcare system can make this important task incredibly difficult. Luckily, a new online healthcare company called Nurx is out to change all that and make quality sexual healthcare available and affordable to everyone.
According to the latest statistics, there are 66 million women of reproductive age in the United States, and 20 million of them can’t afford contraception. Among those 20 million women, about 19.5 million live in so-called “contraception deserts” where it is difficult or impossible to access a public health center that offers a full range of contraception methods. Of those 19.5 million women, about 1.5 million live in a county without a single public health center that offers a full range of contraceptive methods.
This is obviously a huge problem, and it gets even worse when you factor in other needs, such as STI testing, emergency contraception, and HIV prevention. But geography and socioeconomic issues aren’t the only barriers to good sexual healthcare in the United States. Even if you have good insurance, or you happen to live close to a good public clinic, the bureaucracy of our healthcare system makes everything complicated, costly, and time consuming. On top of that, many women fear the stigma associated with things like emergency contraception or STI testing.
Ideally none of these things would deter women from tending to their sexual health. But in reality, it does. That’s why Nurx is pioneering a new type of healthcare that’s easier, smarter, discreet, and judgement free.
1. Nurx
Nurx is an online medical provider that believes healthcare is a fundamental human right, and that vital medications and tests should be accessible and affordable to everyone. Period. Backed by a board of directors that includes Chelsea Clinton, author and Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation; Dr. Regina Benjamin, Former Surgeon General of the United States; and Andrew Weissman, Partner, Union Square Ventures. Nurx also has an independent medical team made up of experienced clinical practitioners who believe good healthcare requires choice, control, and freedom.
How does it work? Nurx uses a telemedicine app and website to connect women with their online pharmacy and a team of physicians, thereby allowing women to easily and discreetly obtain birth control, emergency contraception, STI testing, HIV PrEP, and HPV screening from the comfort of their own home, without a trip to the doctor or pharmacy. All you have to do is create an account, select the service you need, answer a few medical questions, and hit submit. After that, their medical team will evaluate your needs send you the prescription or screening kit that’s right for you.
If you have health insurance, Nurx bills your provider. So depending on your plan, the online medical consultation and any tests or prescriptions could be totally free. If you don’t have health insurance, Nurx is still incredibly affordable. Their medical consultation fee is just $12 out of pocket, and birth control prescriptions start at just $15.
2. Birth Control
Everyone deserves the right to choose birth control that’s right for them. That’s why Nurx offers over 50 different generic and name brands of pills, patches, rings, and shots. If you already know what kind you want, you simply select it during the prescription request process. If you’d like some advice from a doctor, select that option instead. All birth control prescriptions are good for one year and are delivered right to your door. On top of that, the medical consultation gives you unlimited access to the Nurx medical team if you have any questions or concerns.
3. Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, but some women are too embarrassed to ask their doctors and pharmacists about it. With Nurx, however, you can get emergency contraception without leaving your home. They offer Ella, which is the most comprehensive and effective morning-after pill, as well as My Way, the over-the-counter morning-after pill commonly known as Plan B. And because time is of the essence with emergency contraception, once the Nurx medical team issues your prescription, you’ll have the option of picking it up at a local pharmacy.
4. STI Testing
STI infection rates are at an all-time high in the United States. If you’re a sexually active adult, you need to get tested. And with Nurx, you can do it without setting foot inside a clinic. Nurx offers three different home STI test kits. The right one for you depends on your specific risk factors. After you answer a few questions, the Nurx medical team will assess these factors and recommend a test for you. Once you receive it, simply follow the collection instructions and use the discreet packaging provided to send it back to the lab. When your sample is tested, the Nurx medical team will then contact you within seven business days to discuss the results and next steps.
Because telemedicine laws vary state to state, Nurx is currently available to 70 percent of the population. But over time, that number should go up. So if you’re ready to take control of your sexual health, visit Nurx today to see if it’s available where you live.
