Thanks to the sex tech revolution, you can avoid the unpleasantness of buying birth control in person. A growing number of women choose to get their pills via mobile phones, but is that safe?

According to the New York Times, Americans are given digital access to birth control from at least half a dozen ventures across the nation, starting from nonprofits like Planned Parenthood to various apps that can help them get contraceptive pills.

One of these apps, Lemonaid, can help users by having a doctor review their medical information and sending a birth control pill prescription to their local pharmacy for the cost of only $15.

There are many potential factors contributing to the rise in telemedicine for reproductive health, ranging from simple convenience to women wanting to save money on prescriptions.

However, probably the biggest drive of them all – and a recurring theme in the piece – is young women wanting to avoid the shame that comes with asking their doctors about birth control. It’s much easier to turn to apps and websites to get easy access to contraception than having to face slut shaming from health care providers.

As explained by Peter Ax, the CEO of birth control app PRJKT Ruby, “Privacy is a big issue. We’ve consistently heard that consumers feel this is a private conversation and it’s such more comfortable online than in a face to face setting.”

Some doctors and medical professionals reserve the right to deny patients access to contraception for personal reasons; many of them say their religious beliefs are against it. But it doesn’t stop there.

Even after they get their prescriptions, women can also be shamed when filling their prescriptions at health clinics and pharmacies. Turning to telemedicine can be a relief, but this alternative is also rigged with regulation, given the fact that state laws regarding contraception differ widely.

While Ax provides prescriptions only to users 16 and up to stay away from controversy, Lemonaid’s chief medical officer, Dr. Jason Hwang, decided to not deliver contraceptive to minors. However, other apps, including Nurx, cater to users as young as 14, as long as the law in their state allows it.
Image Source: Vice