Lemonaid Health App Makes Birth Control More Accessible, Cheaper for Women
Lemonaid App Makes Birth Control Easier, Especially for Low-Income Women
The new Lemonaid health app will help make birth control easier for women. With a few touches on a smartphone, prescription pills can be delivered immediately at a cheaper cost without the need to visit a doctor.
Similar start-ups such as Maven and Nurx have made it possible for women to order pills and get birth control prescription, which are then transported to the nearest pharmacy or even to their doorsteps.
In support of these new health advances, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has approved over-the-counter oral contraceptive pills, noting that these pills are safe to use even without a doctor's prescription.
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Birth Control at Your Doorsteps
According to Dr. Jennifer Conti, a Stanford University-based clinical instructor on obstetrics and gynecology, going to a doctor for prescription can be tough since women have to attend to work or their families. These app services can help ease that burden and make birth control more accessible.
Furthermore, the overall cost of birth control, which includes visits to doctors and co-pays make planning options inaccessible to many women with low income. However, with Lemonaid and similar apps, this financial hurdle can be taken care of.
Many public health specialists think this breakthrough technology will embolden more women to use contraceptives, which in turn reduces the number of unwanted pregnancies and fewer abortions across the nation.
Reducing Pregnancies in the U.S.
Guttmacher Institute reports that "at least 36% of pregnancies in every U.S. state are unintended." The country hopes to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by 10 percent by the year 2020, based on 2010's percentage.
The Lemonaid health app comes at a $15 visit fe, or $9 if the patient doesn't have health insurance coverage. The patient is then prompted to answer simple health questions and take photos. A doctor will call and write a three-month prescription, then the patient will choose the pharmacy to fill the prescription to. The cost is much cheaper compared to doctor visits, which usually ranges between $20 and $50. The Lemonaid health app is currently available in Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Michigan and New York.
According to Dr. Nathaniel G. DeNicola, a University of Pennsylvania clinical associate, "Contraception has been identified as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century by CDC. It is a great benefit that our field can provide."
