Moving countries is not an easy task. There are many different things to consider: “what things should I pack?”, “should I buy furniture there or take my own?”, “what if my neighbors suck?”. Scrambling from one task to another, it’s easy to forget a thing or two. Once you get settled in enough to have somewhere to sleep, sometimes a half-built futon or a still-packaged mattress on the floor, it seems like everything’s coming into place. Hey, you did it, you’re moved in! Then, the familiar ringing noise starts. You look at the clock, and it’s the fateful hour- 9 pm.
“Oh shit! I forgot to get my birth control.”
Coming from a country that sells over-the-counter birth control pills, getting a prescription was never a concern and was probably the last thing on my mind once I got to the United States. I soon realized it was extremely hard if not impossible to get a prescription for the next day, much less the next week and I would have to wait at least until the next month.
To say the least, it seemed like it would be an ordeal. The pill that I used in Ecuador was only sold in three other countries, none of which were anywhere near the United States. I was afraid of the plethora of side effects people warn about from using another brand of birth control, and was to the brink of considering, “maybe I should just wing it?” when I opened up Snapchat. An ad popped up advertising for an app that boasted delivery birth control, “with no prescription needed!” I immediately thought it would be a scam. Turns out, it wasn’t- after searching up reviews online, it seemed like it was a solid service that would get me what I needed quickly enough, and with the specifications I was looking for.
The process to order a prescription was very simple- suspiciously so. I took a “birth control quiz” which suggested certain brands and alternate methods of birth control I could take for my age and body type. I settled on the “Camila” mini-pill, which seemed to have less side effects from my extensive online research (despite its 4.6/10 rating and a plethora of negative reviews), and was similar to the pill I took back home. I was then asked a series of questions about my heart rate, previous medical conditions and then uploaded a picture of my insurance card as well as a form of ID. Within 2 weeks, I received my first pack of Camila pills in the mail.
Nurx is a 10/10 great app. I recommend it to all of my friends, especially those who don’t have insurance or are not from the U.S. as an easy way to get birth control until they can figure out a long term option. Many doctors don’t realize how urgent birth control can be, especially in a college setting where it can be hard to stay protected. Nurx sends you a new pack each month, and you can switch brands or methods of birth control if one doesn’t work out for you, as they also offer the Nuvaring and the patch. It offers near-immediate customer service through chat, and they’ve always been very receptive to my questions and comments. Eventually, I figured out a way to get my original birth control from Ecuador since the pill I ordered from Nurx may have caused me to gain weight (or maybe it was all the late night Papa Johns… I’ll never know), but overall Nurx was a great way to keep my body in my own hands, and have full control over what I was taking and when.
Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information on Nurx, or want any advice on taking the birth control pill at simoneviteri@gmail.com.