confused about getting birth control pills

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Yeah, I'm 25 and I'm confused about how it's done.

I'm confused because I was led to believe that all birth control pills are behind the counter and require a doctor's prescription yet I hear so many teens are getting access to them. Seriously, do these teens actually go through the process of visiting a doctor to get such a prescription...and who pays for that doctor's visit anyway? I cant imagine that the parents willingly take them. My mom sure as hell would not if I requested it.

And I dont have an actual doctor or an actual health plan. I cant just go up to my family and get that information from them for birth control pills cuz they would just give me s**t.

I say it's quite unfair that younger girls are easily getting BC pills and I cant because I dont even know how you do it.

Check out the closest Planned Parenthood clinic near you.

This link will lead you to the birth control info you're looking for plus a clinic locator by using your zip code or state.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health ... -25991.htm

You want to get them, and don't know how?

Find a doctor near you, and walk in/phone to get an appointment. You'll be asked to fill in a form with all your details.
He/she will talk to you about migraines/family history of blood clots/whatever, and see if it's safe for you to take them. Then if all is well, you get given a script and you take it to the chemist and pay for the medication. Don't worry, it's no biggie.

As for the payment, I can't say because doctors can approach that in different ways.

I'll echo what the above respondent said--Planned Parenthood. You can get there by public transportation and pay out of pocket if you don't have insurance, so it's one way that teens can get access to sexual health care. You just look up the phone number of the nearest clinic on the PP website and make an appointment.

Also remember that birth control is not just for birth control. Girls can take it for period pain, acne, hormonal imbalances. So, some girls' parents would take them to the doctor.

Exactly. My mother took me to get birth control because of irregularities, not because I was sexually active. I highly doubt she'd take me for that reason, although I'm sure some parents would - better safe than sorry.

But yes, you can just go to a doctor and talk to him/her. It's your insurance that will determine how much you pay. I think - although I'm not positive - that the morning after pill that some girls take is more expensive in the long run.

I know. I need the bc just as much if not more for the period pain and acne treatment than anything else.

I just dont understand why all of that has to be behind the counter? It makes no sense to me the way I see it. And what about the teenage girls who parents object to taking them to the doctor for this?

They should make this a much more simple process than it really is.

The reason the pill is prescription only is because it contains hormones that override your body's natural rhythms - this is quite a big deal. There are also some very serious potential side effects that are associated with certain medical conditions: for instance, if you are prone to or have high blood pressure, the pill can cause it to skyrocket and it may, as in my mother's case, never return to normal. The pill is perfectly safe for 99% of women, but it's the 1% they need to be careful about. It also must be taken correctly and responsibly, or it can fail and/or seriously mess up your system. There are many, many, many different kinds of pills with different hormone levels and hormone types (ie estrogen vs progesterone) and they will each have a different effect on your body. A doctor can tailor the pill type to exactly what suits you best. For example, I'm on a pill that helps with acne, since I have minor skin problems, and closely mimics the body's natural hormone cycle to keep me regular and moderate mood swings. Another friend is on a completely different pill because she needs to be able to run packets together and have a period every three months instead of every month (she has wickedly painful, vomiting periods), and this can only be done with certain hormone regimes.

All that being said, I've been on the for almost ten years and I think it's wonderful. Most women I know take it. But it is a complex medication, not a simple aspirin, so a doctor must decide if and which pill is appropriate for you, even if it is a very straightforward and quick process.

This is a side note, and at risk of sounding a bit preachy: you said you are 25 and don't have a doctor or a health plan. A health plan is one thing (I'm guessing you're American?), but am I correct in thinking that, as you don't have a doctor, you haven't had a pap smear and pelvic exam before? By the age of 25, regardless of whether you are sexually active, having regular checkups is a very wise idea. In Canada and the UK, two countries I have lived in, it is virtually required that you start having exams when you are 21, virgin or not. Any doctor who could perform the exam could also prescribe you birth control pills. I would strongly recommend booking into a sexual health clinic or parental planning clinic for a pelvic exam and ask for the birth control pill at the same time. If it would be easier with your family's assistance, a request to have a check-up that all women should have regardless of sexual activity is hardly something they should give you s**t about. Then maybe you can "sneak" the BC prescription in at the same appointment? Apologies for the mini-lecture - but with such things it's always better to be safe than sorry and this looks like a great opportunity for you to get two birds with one stone.

Whatever your choices, good luck!

Yep, if you have migraines the pill can actually increase your risk of stroke.

Some parents do take their daughters in for bc. My mother told me several times when I was a teen that she'd take me to the doctor for bc if I needed it, but I was never socially functional enough to have a boyfriend as a teen.

I wanted to add that although birth control is prescription, it isn't controlled. It's considered a schedule 4 drug. (Schedule 1 means absolutely illegal, Schedule 2 means highly controlled, 3 is controlled, 4 is prescription mainly because it should be monitored by a doctor, but without much potential for abuse, so not actually controlled, and 5 is over-the-counter.) That means that it can be prescribed very easily, and can actually be ordered online.
So while going to a doctor is ideal, there are lots of internet pharmacies where you can also get them. It has something to do with NAFTA, I think. The Canadian pharmacies are big, they're cheaper than getting it from a US pharmacy if you don't have insurance, but it's not like you're ordering it from some third-world country without any regulation. Usually they have you fill in health information, and then they have a doctor that "prescribes" it for you. You need to be careful about which ones you use, but there are plenty that are legitimate and legal.

Not advocating anything or whatever.. just pointing out that it is legal.