Close
Close
Close
Close
Back to Blog

Birth Control Telemedicine Consultation: A Guide to Preparing For Your Appointment

So you’ve decided to go on birth control. Now what? The first step will be to have a consultation with one of Pandia’s expert birth control doctors. Simply answer our health questionnaire and it will be reviewed by one of our doctors.

In addition to pregnancy prevention, hormonal birth control provides several advantages. It can help reduce the chance of developing certain reproductive issues, ease difficult periods, help treat acne and more. If you have any specific concerns or reasons why you would like to start on birth control, add them on your health questionnaire so the Doctor can help you find the best birth control that matches your health history and needs. 

Read on to understand how to prepare for your birth control online consultation.

Happy young woman during an online birth control consultation

What Should You Research Before the Online Consultation

Before you book a birth control consultation appointment, there are a few things you need to research. First, research birth control methods. Ensure you know how they work, how long they last, and their side effects.

If you opt to go for the pill, patch, or ring Pandia Health’s expert doctors can help you find the best pill with the least side effects for you and prescribe you a year’s worth of refills. Plus, with Pandia Health, you get FREE delivery so you don’t have to worry about getting to the pharmacy every month! 

What You Should Expect at a Telehealth Consultation

When you sign up for a telehealth consultation, your doctor will want to know about your period history as well as any past or present health condition(s). This includes: high blood pressure, migraines, heart disease, blood problems, etc. 

It is important that you have a recent blood pressure reading available (checked within the past 345 days). This is extremely important, because depending on your blood pressure reading, the doctor will make sure the type of birth control you want is safe for you. Also, if you are smoker, you should let the doctor know how many cigarettes per day you smoke. (There’s a specific section for this on the health questionnaire).

The birth control method you are currently using is important for the Doctor, especially if you would like to request the same medication. If you want the same medication, make sure you know and answer in the questionnaire, the exact name of your medication, the strength (1/20, 1.5/30), and type of progestin.

On the health questionnaire, don’t be afraid to be honest with your doctor, remember your health is most important and knowing your health history will allow the doctor to find the best birth control method for you. This way, you’ll avoid complications in the future and have a good experience with your birth control.

If you’re feeling shy about answering these questions, don’t be. There is no such thing as TMI when it comes to your health! Our expert birth control doctors at Pandia are here to help you and we wants what’s best for you. Nobody is judging.  

Your Birth Control Options: the pill, patch, ring

The expert birth control doctors at Pandia Health have created many blog posts and resource pages as well as videos on our Youtube Channel. Tell your expert birth Pandia Health doctor what method you want. Once you are prescribed, your doctor will send you tips on how to avoid side effects and flag anything to look out for.

Getting the Prescription

The good news is that you do not need to have an internal (pelvic, speculum) exam nor a pap smear to get a birth control prescription (but you should go for your yearly check ups with your primary care provider, ob/gyn, etc), which is what makes it possible to have your online birth control consultation and get your prescription in the mail.

Pandia Health offers online consultations with experienced, birth control expert doctors. 

  • If you live in AZ, CA, CO, GA, FL, IL, NV, NY, MI, PA, TN, TX, WA, or WY and need a prescription for the pill, patch, or ring, you can sign up for a telemedicine/telehealth consultation right now. 
  • If you already have a prescription, you can transfer an existing prescription to our pharmacy and have it delivered to your mailbox. Because you have better things to do than running to the pharmacy each month! We ship to every state in the union!

Getting Started with Pandia Health 

Pandia Health is the only women-led and women-founded, the only doctor-led birth control service provider in the United States. Contact us and start your online asynchronous birth control consultation now. Our expert birth control doctors can help you identify the best pill with the least side effects, if any for your age, BMI, and other health concerns/conditions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for birth control to work?

The amount of time birth control takes to work depends on the type of birth control method you use. For example, pills usually take 7 days, while copper IUDs and the shot can start working immediately.

How much is birth control?

The cost of birth control varies depending on the method you use. At Pandia, birth control pills are free with insurance (no copay, no deductible thanks to the Affordable Care Act) and start at just $7 per pack without insurance (13 pack minimum).

What happens if you take birth control while pregnant?

According to studies, birth control hormones have no effect on pregnancy. Therefore, if you take birth control pills without knowing that you are pregnant, your pregnancy will most likely not be affected. However, if you are pregnant, please stop your birth control pills, patch, ring and see a doctor ASAP to get the appropriate care.

How long does birth control stay in your system?

For most people, hormonal birth control is out of the body after 3-7 day if you stop the pill, patch, ring, implant, hormonal IUD. The birth control shot can take sometimes 8 months to wash out of the body.

What happens if you miss a day of birth control?

If you forget to take your birth control pills for a day, you have a small risk of getting pregnant. However, you can take a double dose the following day to increase the level of hormones in your blood and hopefully, prevent pregnancy or take the pill as soon as you remember it. If you miss 3 pills in a row, then you need to consider emergency contraception if you had heterosexual intercourse in the 5 days before.

How late can a period be on birth control?

The amount of time your periods may delay when you are on birth control varies from one person to another. However, you should get your period in 3 days when you stop using the birth control pill, patch, or ring. If you on the birth control pill, patch, ring, know that you can choose to have #NoPeriods, a bleed every 3 months, every 6months, whenever you choose. See our founder/CEO Dr. Sophia Yen’s TEDx talk on the bottom of this page to learn more.

What are all the birth control options?

There are several birth control options as listed below from MOST effective to LEAST effective
Implant (nexplanon)
Vasectomy (permanent, though sometimes reversible, but $$$ to reverse and not guaranteed)
IUD with hormone
Tubal ligation
Shot
Ring (1 year or monthly)
Patch
Birth control pills (combined equals with estrogen and progesterone)
Progesterone Only Pills
Male Condoms
Contraceptive sponges
Diaphragm/ Cervical caps
Spermicides/ Female Condoms

If you combine a hormonal + barrier method, you get even better results in terms of preventing pregnancy. See our blog on birth control effectiveness math!

How much is an emergency contraceptive?

If you have insurance, all FDA approved birth control should be available with NO copay, no deductible = FREE. If you don’t have insurance, then Emergency contraception costs between $10-$50. However, we don’t recommend Plan B and its generics because they have BMI limitations. Pandia Health #PSA, CHECK your BMI. If it’s 26 or more, then Plan B and its generics won’t work so well. Better to go with prescription emergency contraception = Ella.

Why is contraception important?

Contraception is crucial because prevents pregnancy. Hormonal birth control can also help treat menstrual-related issues, lower the risk of certain types of reproductive system cancers, and can even help treat acne.

Join our mailing list to receive
updates and offers