ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A growing number of women are looking to get their birth control online. The main reasons? A busy schedule, a new relationship, or being in a new and unfamiliar city.
In fact, birth control is one of the top 10 reasons why patients visit virtuwell.com, the 24/7 online clinic developed by HealthPartners. The online clinic started offering birth control and emergency contraception in 2015. Since then, demand has steadily grown.
“Many women find themselves in a relationship where they need a contraception option to prevent pregnancy. Or, they want short-term birth control until they have time to evaluate the long-acting reversible contraceptive options,” said Gwen Verchota, PhD, APRN-BC, lead nurse practitioner for virtuwell.com. “For those women, online care can be a great option. It’s safe, convenient and also offers more privacy.”
She continued, “One of the benefits of our online interview is that sound is not required. You can complete a visit at work, in line at a coffee shop, on a train, or anywhere you can be online. The privacy of the service is appreciated by patients, especially for things like birth control. And most online clinics are open around the clock, so questions are answered any time, day or night.”
virtuwell.com was one of the first online clinics to offer prescriptions for birth control. But it serves a wide variety of care needs. More than 60 common conditions are diagnosed and treated by virtuwell’s certified nurse practitioners. Bladder infections and sinus infections are the most common, followed by pink eye and acne.
How to get birth control online
Nurse practitioners can prescribe three types of birth control at virtuwell.com. The most popular are pills. For those wanting to avoid another daily task, the patch and ring are weekly and monthly options. Women need to be between the ages of 18 and 34, and they must have normal blood pressures.
The first step is to answer questions about health history and birth control needs through a short online interview. The questions are answered using a smartphone or a computer, with no need for video or any app downloads.
Once complete, nurse practitioners review the online interview. This includes making sure hormonal birth control is a safe contraceptive option. Then, they create a custom birth control plan and send a prescription to the patient’s preferred pharmacy.
Insurance is accepted at virtuwell.com. Claims are submitted directly to insurance companies. Need birth control without insurance? A visit is never more than $45 and all follow up calls are free.
Ready to get started? Nurse practitioners are here to help you, day or night. Start your virtuwell visit now.
virtuwell is a 24/7 online clinic available to anyone living, working, or traveling in the following 12 licensed states: Minnesota, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. It was launched in 2010 by Minnesota-based HealthPartners, the largest consumer-governed non-profit health care organization in the country. To date, virtuwell has provided nearly 300,000 treatment plans and assisted thousands more in finding appropriate care options.
