Technology has truly taken sex education and safe sex to an entirely different level. From sex toys that play a playlist of your favorite songs, to apps that tell you when you are ovulating, technology is at an all time high of being our friend. Now, you can manage, order, and even monitor your birth control via your telephone. There were an estimated 52,500 unintended pregnancies in Washington in just 2010, according to the Washington state Department of Health. Imagine how those numbers would look if it reflected the entire country? Find out how technology can simplify your birth control below:
1. Order Away
Virtual doctor visits are becoming more and more popular by the day. Now, there are plenty of apps where you can pay a nominal fee to talk to a doctor right in the comfort of your own home. Apps such as PolkaDoc have made ordering birth control a breeze and affordable. If you don’t have insurance going to the doctor to even consult with them about birth control can be a hefty expense. With this app it’s a flat fee of $15 to speak with a doctor and they will send your prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. They even offer services to address UTIs and other common issues for women and their sexual health.
Planned Parenthood president and CEO of the Great Midwest region, Chris Charbonneau, has even got on board with this technologically advanced sexual health trend, citing a grim statistic. He said in a statement, “People are sexually active for six to nine months before they get a really reliable birth-control method.” They are intending to make Planned Parenthood more accessible to the community through virtual visits via their app Planned Parenthood Care. The visit costs $45 currently, and you can order birth control and STD testing kits during these visits.
2. Pill Reminder & Tracking
There are so many apps out now that will keep track of taking your birth control pills. They’ve made it so simple that you won’t have any reason to forget to take them (unless of course your phone dies!) Most of these apps, like Lady Pill, MyPill, and Bedsider (just to name a few), have you indicate the type of birth control pill you are taking and how many pills per month. The apps then notify you when it’s time to take your pills and when not to on the days that you aren’t supposed to. Many of the apps also have visibility to the status of your pill packet and will show you how many pills you have left to take in the month.
3. Ovulation & Hormone Tracking
Swedish developers have come out with an app that they claim will put an end to the necessity for protected sex between sexually transmitted disease-free individuals. The app, called NaturalCycle, was created by CERN physicist Elina Berglund, who states that the app’s algorithm is like no other. She explains that, “The algorithm tells users when it’s safe to have unprotected sex and when they should use protection as it tracks individual cycles. Women can also take LH tests to monitor for the presence of the luteinizing hormone that increases during ovulation. The app takes the data and uses it to assign red days and green days to a calendar so women can see the safest times to have unprotected sex.” This may be the most interesting birth control I’ve ever come across. It essentially is a birth control where you can have completely unprotected sex, but only on certain days.
These are all great advancements in sexual health, but none of them replace going to have an exam and getting medical attention from your doctor. It’s important to remember the sex is meant to be a good thing, not a stressful one, so where there are ways to assist in making your sex life more enjoyable and convenient, explore! But please do your research first!
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