Get affordable access to birth control without leaving your couch

Consultation: A birth control consultation costs $15, which is lower than most doctor co-pays. Currently we don’t submit medical consultation claims to insurance companies, but you can use insurance for the prescription itself at your pharmacy.

Medication: Dr B. only charges for the medical consultation. Instead of marking up medications, we enable you to choose the most affordable or convenient pharmacy to get your prescription filled. If you have insurance, birth control is often free. If you don’t have insurance, some generic birth control brands cost as little as $15.

Birth control pills work by safely preventing ovulation from occurring. Ovulation refers to the process where hormones trigger the release of an egg from the ovary, making it available for fertilization by sperm. Hormonal birth control prevents the body from ovulating, which means there is no egg for sperm to fertilize and pregnancy is not possible.

Birth control pills also thicken cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to pass through the cervix and find an egg. In addition, the pill thins the lining of the uterine wall, which makes it less likely for an egg to implant in the uterus even if it is fertilized.

The pill is the most popular form of hormonal birth control. A single pack contains a 3-4 week supply of pills.

When taken correctly, birth control pills are 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy. However, missing even one dose can lead to pregnancy.

Hormonal birth control does not protect against sexually transmitted infections or diseases, including HIV.

Birth control pills are considered very safe for most women. Like all medications they also have possible side effects, though most go away after 2-3 months. The most common side effects are spotting or bleeding between periods, sore breasts, mild nausea or headaches. Other side effects can include mood changes and decreased sex drive.

Side effects can vary between brands, but birth control shouldn’t make you feel unwell. If you’re still experiencing side effects after three months, you may want to switch brands or try a different birth control method.

Birth control pills can cause a higher risk for blood clots. 3-9 out of every 10,000 women who take birth control pills will develop a blood clot. While blood clots can be treated, one-third of people with untreated blood clots die from the condition. The risk for blood clots goes up for birth control users who smoke and are over the age of 35.

In rare cases, birth control has also been linked to higher blood pressure, liver tumors and breast cancer.

If you’re taking other medications, you’ll want to check with your medical provider about any potential interactions.

While it only takes a few days for the hormones to leave your body, it may take several weeks for your regular menstrual cycle to return. Side effects from stopping birth control pills vary, but may include: the return of PMS symptoms, changes in sex drive, changes in your period, vaginal discharge, and skin changes (like acne).

Depending on the pill, ovulation can return as soon as a few days after stopping birth control pills. If you don’t want to become pregnant, use a backup form of birth control, like condoms.

While your period may be irregular after stopping the pill, if it doesn’t return after three months, you should take a pregnancy test to make sure you’re not pregnant and talk to your primary care provider.

Your regular ovulation cycle will resume a few weeks after stopping birth control pills, but there is a risk of pregnancy as soon as you stop taking them. Be sure to use a backup form of birth control if you don’t want to conceive.

Conceiving right after getting off of birth control does not lead to a higher risk for miscarriage or harm to the fetus because the hormones do not remain in your system for more than a few days.