It’s estimated that up to 60% percent of all women who are of childbearing age use some type of birth control to prevent pregnancy.

>##### Despite advances in birth control implants, millions of women continue to choose oral birth control pills because they are affordable, easy to get, safe and effective, and typically have limited side effects.

They don’t just prevent pregnancy either—doctors often prescribe birth control pills to treat acne, prevent ovarian cysts, and relieve painful periods and severe PMS.

If you’re one of the millions of people who take the pill, you should know it’s now convenient and affordable to get birth control online! Ordering birth control online is easier and more affordable than going to a traditional doctor or Planned Parenthood clinic. Your online medical provider will make the same recommendations based on medical history as you would experience at an in-person assessment, but the option of which birth control to try is always your choice.

If you’re new to birth control, you probably have a lot of questions. Let’s get you some answers.

What are my oral birth control options?

While there are many different types of ways to prevent pregnancy, there are four main types of birth control pills. Each type offers different benefits. The great news is that a wide variety of pills are available for birth control delivery, so every person can find the right pill for them:

• Combination – this is the most popular type of pill people get when they have their birth control delivered. It contains equal amounts of estrogen and progestin. On top of providing reliable birth control, combination pills can shorten or lighten periods and make them more predictable. They can also help relieve PMS, cramping, and improve acne.
• Extended Cycle – this formulation is similar to combination pills, but it is formulated specifically to help reduce the frequency of periods while still providing reliable birth control. Extended cycle pills are also available through birth control delivery services.
• Progestin-only (or “mini pill”) – this type of pill does not contain any estrogen, which is better for certain individuals with certain health concerns or sensitivity to hormonal birth control. Birth control delivery services have made the mini pill more easily accessible for many women.
• Low dose – this formulation uses a lower amount of both estrogen and progestin hormones but still offers reliable birth control.
  
  

What’s the best birth control pill for me?

Your birth control should fit as seamlessly as possible into your life. That means you want to avoid unpleasant side effects and you want a method you can use easily and consistently. Everyone’s body is different so what might work well for one person may not work for you—the best way to figure it out is to start trying different pills and see how your body reacts! With wisp, it’s easy to buy birth control pills online so you can test different kinds of pills until you find the one for you. You can also choose your pill based on the kinds of issues you want to address.

A combination birth control often carries the positive side effects of:

• Less acne
• Fewer cramps
• Shorter periods

Or consider a low-hormone birth control for help with:

• Migraines/headaches
• Weight gain
• Bloating
• Previous birth control side effects

If you have other health concerns, your online medical provider may suggest you use a mini pill as the best method of birth control pills. Whichever type of pill you decide to use, there is a large variety available when you order birth control online.

How does online birth control work with insurance?

The Affordable Care Act made it a requirement that all health plans cover birth control except in a few cases:

• Insurance provided by houses of worship
• Plans purchased before March 23, 2010
• Short-term health insurance

Alternative plans that specifically exclude birth control If your insurance plan does not fall into any of these categories, then your birth control, and in some states your birth control online will be completely covered and most likely will not cost you anything. However, if you aren’t insured, you’re probably wondering, “How much is birth control?” Birth control prices can be expensive, but places like Wisp don’t need to charge for you to see a medical provider in-person, keeping costs as low as $5/month.

Do antibiotics affect birth control?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the only antibiotics proven to potentially interfere with the efficacy of birth control are rifampin and rifabutin. These high-powered antibiotics are used primarily to treat tuberculosis, so it’s unlikely that you would be prescribed them! Your pharmacist can let you know if your antibiotics and birth control are incompatible. If you’re in doubt, use a backup birth control method such as condoms when engaging in sexual activity.

Does birth control affect your sex drive?

This question is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Like all medications, different forms of birth control affect different people...differently. However, if you are experiencing changes in your sex drive since the onset of new birth control, you are not alone. Lots of people report a dip in their sex drive after starting the birth control pill.

So, does birth control lower sex drive? No conclusive medical evidence has been established to determine whether or not hormonal birth control directly impacts sex drive, but there are a number of factors to consider.

Hormonal birth control, like the pill, can alter the body’s levels of naturally occurring hormones. Depending on hormone levels and rate of absorption, birth control may lower testosterone—the hormone in charge of getting you hot. Still, it is hard to say if such a minor shift has any noticeable impact, particularly on the female libido. On the other side of the coin, many forms of birth control contain estrogen, a hormone that promotes vaginal lubrication and sexual desire.

Some people experience noticeable fluctuations in their sex drive throughout the month, dependent upon their menstruation cycle. Increased libido during ovulation makes evolutionary sense. For those who experience this, taking hormonal birth control that suppresses ovulation will likely flatten out any cyclical changes in your sexual appetite.

Individual responses to medication vary, and the medical community has not reached a consensus regarding any direct link between hormonal birth control and a decreased sex drive. It is more likely that no single factor is entirely responsible for putting your libido to sleep. Changes in sex drive may point to a more complex range of factors—think computer circuit board, not a light switch.

Monthly birth control and how to get a birth control prescription online

Wisp is the easiest and most reliable way to get birth control delivery. First, select the birth control pill that is right for you. Second, a licensed medical provider will review your request and follow up with you by phone or online chat. The medical provider will then write a birth control prescription for you. Third, your prescription will be shipped for free to your home or will be made available for same-day pickup at your local pharmacy in most cases. Wisp offers low-cost, high-quality birth control options that are available without any hidden fees.