Urgent care centers provide important care for individuals around the country that may not have access to regular healthcare. For instance, someone might go to urgent care for gynecological issues, such as those that are in need of birth control or emergency contraception.
Urgent care can offer immediate access to important services that could prevent unwanted pregnancies. No matter how safe you might think you are, it’s never a bad idea to understand how urgent care works and the birth control services it could offer you.
Table of Contents
- Can You Get Birth Control at Urgent Care?
- What Types of Birth Control Can You Get From Urgent Care?
- Can Urgent Care Provide You With Emergency Contraception?
- Where Else Could You Get Birth Control?
- Get Birth Control Online!
Can You Get Birth Control at Urgent Care?
Yes. Birth control is available to everyone in urgent care. This is because emergency contraception is one of the best ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This is likely to occur after having unprotected sex, such as due to an accident with birth control.
Birth control options at urgent care are completely safe and are often used within five days of having unprotected sex. It’s a lot faster than booking an appointment, and the immediacy of urgent care means that birth control will be more effective.
There are also virtual urgent care services, such as the one offered by DrHouse. This is known as telemedicine and refers to the ability to speak with and engage with your doctor over the internet as opposed to visiting them in person. Virtual urgent care comes with several advantages, such as not needing to go out and visit them, faster access to medications, and having a doctor available virtually whenever you need them.
What Types of Birth Control Can You Get From Urgent Care?
There are several different types of birth control that you can get from urgent care. You can get both emergency contraptions, such as the morning-after pill, and traditional birth control methods.
For more traditional birth control options, you can get hormone-based medications such as the pill, patch, shot, or ring. There are also non-hormonal methods such as barrier contraceptives (condoms and diaphragms) and natural family planning. All of these methods are available at urgent care centers.
Birth Control Pills
Birth control pills are oral medications that contain hormones. They come in different levels of potency, with some having higher dosages than others. All birth control pills work by preventing ovulation, which is the process where eggs are released from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes each month during a woman’s reproductive cycle. By taking the pill, ovulation cannot occur, and a woman’s body is not able to get pregnant.
The Patch
The patch is another type of hormone-based birth control that works in the same way as birth control pills. The difference is that the patch contains hormones that are absorbed through skin patches placed on the arm or abdomen. These hormones are then slowly released over a three-week period, preventing ovulation and making it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
IUDs
IUDs are intrauterine devices that are inserted into the uterus and prevent pregnancy by keeping sperm from reaching an egg. They can last for up to five years, making them a long-term option for contraception, and they are one of the most effective birth control methods available.
Birth Control Ring
The birth control ring is a flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina and releases hormones to prevent pregnancy. It works in the same way as the pill and patch, but it has to be replaced every month.
Can Urgent Care Provide You With Emergency Contraception?
Yes. Several types of emergency contraception are available from urgent care centers. You can often visit an urgent care center and immediately receive different forms of emergency contraception to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
The two main types of emergency contraception are the copper IUD and morning-after pills. It’s possible to purchase morning-after pills without a prescription, but these aren’t the most effective options available. It’s always best to speak with a doctor to ensure that you’re getting the right advice.
Who Is Emergency Contraception For?
Emergency contraception is often recommended to people who:
- Forgot to use a condom or birth control while having vaginal sex
- Had a condom break, rip, or slip after ejaculation
- Had a partner ejaculate inside of them while not being on birth control
- Engaged in unprotected sex after neglecting to take a birth control pill
- Have been a victim of rape.
These are the most common circumstances in which emergency contraception will be provided from urgent care.
Where Else Could You Get Birth Control?
If you are not comfortable getting birth control from urgent care, there are several other options available. You can visit a primary care physician or gynecologist to get the same types of birth control methods mentioned earlier.
Additionally, many pharmacies offer over-the-counter birth control methods such as condoms and morning-after pills. Also, you can get birth control online by using a telemedicine service and having an online consultation with a certified doctor.
No matter what type of birth control you choose, it’s important to be aware of all the options available so that you can make an informed decision and find a method that works best for you. Urgent care is just one way to get access to birth control quickly and conveniently.
Get Birth Control Online!
One of the most convenient ways to get emergency contraception is to consider getting birth control online. Birth control prescriptions are a quick and efficient way to refill your current medication, and DrHouse can provide you with a simple service to ensure you always have emergency contraception available to you.
These services are available 24/7, so you can always control your prescription online or request more when needed. No insurance is needed, and you’ll be given additional support to ensure you are requesting the right dosage and products.
All you have to do is download the DrHouse app, set up a free account, book an online visit with one of our doctors, then get your prescription sent to your preferred pharmacy. The entire process can take just 15 minutes, and it’s more affordable than you might think.
These are just some of the benefits of telemedicine and why you should switch to getting your birth control online. At the end of the day, it’s far more effective than getting your birth control from a doctor in person and you don’t need to travel out to an urgent care center to pick up your prescription.
Key Takeaways
- Urgent care is a convenient way to get emergency contraception when you need it.
- They can provide multiple different kinds of birth control.
- However, a more convenient way to get birth control would be to get a prescription online.
- The convenience of doing it online is one of the biggest benefits of telehealth versus in-person care.
- It takes just 15 minutes to sign up for telemedicine and you could get your prescription in a very short time.
Sources:
- Birth Control. Planned Parenthood. Available from: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control
- Your contraception guide. NHS. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/
- Contraception. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/index.htm
DrHouse articles are written by MDs, NPs, nutritionists and other healthcare professionals. The contents of the DrHouse site are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing high fever (>103F/39.4C), shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pain, heart palpitations, abnormal bruising, abnormal bleeding, extreme fatigue, dizziness, new weakness or paralysis, difficulty with speech, confusion, extreme pain in any body part, or inability to remain hydrated or keep down fluids or feel you may have any other life-threatening condition, please go to the emergency department or call 911 immediately.
