Nurx, the health tech company focused on sensitive health needs and the leading online provider for contraception, today announced a partnership with Power to Decide, the campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy. They will provide 1,000 low-income women with a one-year supply of birth control at no cost. In honor of this year’s World Contraception Day, Nurx will also provide a $10,000 donation to Power to Decide’s BCBenefits, a contraceptive access fund that supports women’s power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. BCBenefits helps low-income women overcome some of the most commonly-faced barriers in access to contraception, including transportation, child care, and unpaid time off work.
The purpose of World Contraception Day is to expand awareness about contraception options and empower people to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. While the campaign takes a global perspective, Nurx is committed to driving awareness about the challenges women in the U.S. face when accessing birth control, as well as the comprehensive sex education women deserve in order to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Currently, nearly 20 million women live in areas called contraceptive deserts, where they lack reasonable access* in their county to a healthcare center that offers a full range of contraceptive methods. Further, the gap in healthcare access may widen due to recent changes in Title X funding, which provides over 4 million low-income Americans with affordable reproductive care.** Less than half of states in the U.S. mandate sex education and only 18 states require information on contraception options to be included in sex ed.***
“Our pledge to provide low-income women with contraception is in direct response to recent legislation restricting women’s access to reproductive care,” said Nurx CEO Varsha Rao. “As a company that is committed to reaching women whose health needs are not being met by the traditional healthcare system, it’s our responsibility to go above and beyond and drive awareness of this issue. We hope that our patient community and reproductive health allies join us in making sure that all women, regardless of their background or circumstances, know that they have affordable options to accessing birth control.”
Nurx is the leading online provider for contraception with more than 200,000 current patients across the country and has provided birth control to more than 400,000 women since the company was founded. More than 40% of Nurx patients live in the south, the region which has the highest unintended pregnancy rate**** and where several states have recently passed legislation restricting women’s access to reproductive care. Nearly all of Nurx patients (95 percent) said they’ve faced barriers to accessing birth control, including for geographical and financial reasons, as well as fear of judgement from their doctor, family, or peers.
Power to Decide’s BCBenefits supports access to the full range of birth control for women living at or up to 250% of the federal poverty level by alleviating the cost barriers of accessing the birth control method that is right for them. Hosted on Bedsider.org, Power to Decide’s reproductive health support network, BCBenefits helps these women overcome some of the most commonly faced barriers in access to contraception. To learn more and donate, visit https://powertodecide.org/bcbenefits.
“All women, no matter who they are, where they live or what their socioeconomic status is deserve access to the birth control that’s right for them,” said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, Power to Decide. “Yet millions of low-income women currently live in contraceptive deserts—counties without reasonable access to the full range of contraceptive methods. Recent changes to the Title X program will even further limit access to affordable care for low income women. We are so grateful that Nurx recognizes these challenges and has stepped up to support women through their donation to BCBenefits, our contraceptive access fund.”
As part of its mission to empower people to make informed decisions about their health, Nurx recently introduced a “Knowledge Center” which provides over 500 expert answers and explanations on a wide variety of sexual and sensitive health questions and topics. Three in four Nurx patients (78 percent) say they turn to the internet when they have unanswered questions about contraception, likely because only one in five Nurx patients (19 percent) felt their sex ed classes in school were comprehensive enough and only one in four Nurx patients (25 percent) said their parents discussed contraception options with them as part of the “sex talk.”
Nurx offers over 100 types of birth control, including the pill, patch, ring, and shot, as well as emergency contraception. As part of its mission-driven approach, the company accepts health insurance and provides affordable options for those without insurance. Patients who are interested in obtaining a birth control prescription through Nurx are asked to complete a dynamic health survey through the Nurx app. They are then matched with a Nurx medical provider who consults with the patient within 1-2 days. If the Nurx provider approves their request, their birth control prescription will arrive in discreet packaging within 3-5 days. After their initial consultation, Nurx patients also have unlimited access to their provider for one year, allowing them to ask as many birth control questions as they’d like. Nurx is available in 27 states and the District of Columbia, encompassing 85 percent of the U.S. population.
To learn more about Nurx’s commitment to providing low-income women with birth control, visit https://www.nurx.com/expanding-access
