Contraception FAQs
General birth control questions
It is important to know that you can become pregnant again almost immediately after taking abortion pills. For this reason, it is recommended to use condoms or another form of birth control if you don’t want to get pregnant. Hey Jane offers birth control consultations and emergency contraception for future use. Message your provider on the Spruce app to learn more.
- You can get condoms, internal condoms, sponges, and spermicide at your drugstore. Condoms are the only method that protect against sexually transmitted infections.
- If you have unprotected sex or the condom breaks, you can use emergency contraception (EC), also known as the morning-after pill. EC can help stop you from getting pregnant if you take it within 3-5 days of unprotected sex depending on what method you use. You can get EC from the drugstore or from a healthcare facility.
- There are many different birth control options available - including pills, the patch, the vaginal ring, and many more. The implant and the IUD are great options, too. Here's a good resource to explore your birth control options.
- If you're interested in starting birth control, discuss this with your Hey Jane provider - they will happily answer any questions and send a prescription for you.
- You can also go to this link to connect with a provider near you.
- You can start birth control on the date you choose in consultation with your provider, even if you're bleeding.
Right now, the only method that prevents both pregnancy and infections are condoms.
A pelvic exam is not needed for most forms of birth control.
That depends on you! Your schedule, your preferences, your life! If you need more information on the different methods, just ask our clinical care team.
Opill is the first birth control pill approved for sale without a prescription and has been available in select stores and online as of April 2024 for as little as $20 per month. Learn more about Opill, and whether or not it's right for you, here.
Birth control with Hey Jane
The cost of your birth control consultation with Hey Jane will vary depending on how you pay. There are two ways to pay for care: with insurance or self-pay.
We accept select insurance plans for birth control consultations and offer cash-pay patients income-based sliding scale pricing. You may also be able to pay for your consultation with your HSA or FSA if you’d like. Your payment covers your provider’s time and unlimited messages for the length of your prescription. We will send your prescription to your local pharmacy of choice for pickup. We offer delivery for select birth control methods.
In most cases, you will pay the pharmacy directly for the cost of your birth control method. Costs can vary depending on what birth control method you choose, brand names vs. generic options, and whether or not you use insurance to pay. In many cases, birth control products can be as low as $0 with insurance. If you don’t have insurance or are worried about costs, your provider can advise on more affordable options.
Hey Jane supports a wide variety of birth control methods and options, with 100+ types to choose from. If you’re looking for a specific brand, you can request it from your provider. Note that if you plan to use insurance to pay for the cost of your birth control, options covered by your plan may vary. We will work together to identify the best solution that fits your needs.
Hey Jane’s birth control prescriptions typically include 12 months of refills. As you get close to the end of your refills, we will reach out on Spruce to ask if you would like to renew! You can always check in with us before then if you are having any issues or have any questions
Some providers will recommend sticking with a method for 3 months because a lot of side effects will go away after that (and that can be a good idea), but we want you to be happy with your method from the beginning! If you are having any side effects that bother you please let us know so we can recommend a different option.
Hey Jane only offers delivery for select birth control pills for self-pay patients. Instead, your provider will send your prescription to your preferred local pharmacy for pickup.
Some pharmacies have their own delivery services, so we recommend giving yours a call if you’re curious!
Yes! We can send prescriptions for non-hormonal methods of contraceptives, specifically vaginal diaphragms, topical gels, and condoms. Just start our intake form below to consult with one of our providers virtually.
If you’re interested in options like period tracking, we recommend services like Euki or Embody that have a strong focus on patient data privacy.
General emergency contraception questions
Some people have nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, stomach cramps, or breast pain for a short time after taking the pill. Your next period might come later than normal and the flow can be different—this is all normal. It takes about 2 weeks for the pregnancy hormone to show up on a home pregnancy test, so you can try to take one as early as 2 weeks after having unprotected sex and redo it around 4 weeks if you’re still unsure. Even if you took emergency contraception one time, you can get pregnant if you have unprotected sex again afterwards.
Emergency contraception works by helping prevent ovulation, which is when the egg is released from the ovary. So the sooner you take it after having unprotected sex the better! The longer you wait, the greater chance that you could ovulate – and once you ovulate, emergency contraception doesn’t work.
Both types of emergency contraception pills effectively prevent pregnancy when used according to directions. However, they have some key differences including:
Plan B (levonorgestrel) has a shelf life of 4 years when stored according to directions. This means that you can order it now when you might not need it, and keep it on hand to make a future emergency a little less stressful!
Plan B (levonorgestrel) reduces your chances of pregnancy when taken within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex or contraception failure (like a broken condom or missing a dose of your birth control pill). The sooner you take it, the more effective it is!
The sooner you take it, the better it works! Ella works up to 87.5% of the time when taken within 5 days of unprotected sex, or up to 99% of the time when taken within 1 day of unprotected sex. Plan B (levenorgestrol) works up to 89% of the time when taken within 5 days of unprotected sex, or up to 98.5% of the time when taken within 1 day of unprotected sex.
It is totally different! Emergency contraception (often called “Plan B”) can prevent a pregnancy from happening, while abortion pills (often called “Plan C”) terminate an existing pregnancy. Emergency contraception cannot cause an abortion if the egg has already been fertilized. Learn more about emergency contraception myths here.
Ella has a shelf life of 3 years when stored according to directions. This means that you can order it now when you might not need it, and keep it on hand to make a future emergency a little less stressful!
Ella reduces your chances of pregnancy when taken within 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex or contraception failure (like a broken condom, or missing a dose of your birth control pill). In comparison, Plan B only has a window of 72 hours (3 days), so Ella gives you a little more flexibility.
However with both Ella and Plan B (levonorgestrel), the sooner you take it, the more effective it is!
It really depends on you—every person is different!
Plan B (levonorgestrel) is most effective if:
- You had unprotected sex less than 72 hours (3 days) ago
- You weigh 165 pounds or less
Ella is most effective if:
- You had unprotected sex less than 120hours (5 days) ago
- You weigh 195 pounds or less
Other factors to consider are whether you need a provider to write a prescription (required for Ella) and your budge. Note than insurance can cover both options, but isn't required.
Emergency contraception with Hey Jane
We know it’s important to get your treatment fast. Here’s what you can expect.
In order for us to confirm your request and add it to our queue, we need to…
- Verify you’ve downloaded Spruce. This is the app you use to communicate with your provider. Here’s how to download. You will get access to Spruce as a Hey Jane patient.
- Collect all required medical information. Most information is collected during your intake but a team member may reach out for more info after you’ve paid. Please keep an eye on Spruce and respond quickly to avoid delays.
Once we’ve confirmed your request, a provider will review your information within 1 business day (weekends and holidays excluded). If you’re approved for treatment, your prescription will be ordered for mail delivery.
Your treatment will be mailed directly to your address via the shipping option you've selected. For Standard Shipping, we use Fedex Priority which should arrive in 3-5 business days. For Next Day Shipping, we use FedEx Express which should arrive in 1-2 business days.
For patients with PO box shipping addresses, our pharmacy partner will mail using USPS options.
Business days are M-F. Saturday and Sunday are not business days. In other words, medications are not prescribed and packages are not shipped on Saturday or Sunday. Occasionally, further delays may come into play.
Yes! We offer delivery to your home, PO box, or other mailing location. For Ella, we also offer in-person pick up from your local pharmacy of choice.
The cost of emergency contraception with Hey Jane will vary depending on what medication you receive (Plan B or Ella) and how you pay. There are two ways to pay for care: with insurance or self-pay.
Insurance: We accept select insurance plans for Ella consultations. You may also be able to pay for your consultation with your HSA or FSA if you’d like. Your payment covers your provider’s time and unlimited messages for the length of your prescription.
Self-pay: We offer self-pay patients sliding scale pricing based on income for all of our emergency contraception services. You can pay with credit or debit card, Cash App, or FSA/HSA funds.
For Ella, we can send your prescription to your local pharmacy of choice for pickup regardless of payment method. You will pay the pharmacy directly for the cost of your prescription product. In many cases, emergency contraception products can be as low as $0 with insurance. If you are paying cash or using an FSA/HSA, we can mail it directly to you.
If you don’t have insurance or are worried about costs, let your provider know so they can advise on affordable options.
We offer three different shipping speeds. Since it’s important to take emergency contraception as soon as possible after having unprotected sex, you can purchase medication in advance to be prepared in the event you need it asap.
Shipping options:
- Standard shipping is included in the cost of service (7-10 days)
- $12 priority shipping (3-5 days)
- $35 expedited shipping (1-2 days)
If requesting Ella, you also have to option for in-person pickup at your local pharmacy as long as they have it in stock.
Hey Jane offers 2 types of emergency contraception pills: Plan B and Ella.
Ulipristal Acetate Pill (e.g., Ella): This pill can work up to 5 days after unprotected sex, and if you weigh up to 195 pounds (although it can be less effective if your BMI is 30 or more). You need a prescription for it and most pharmacies carry it. This option is available at Hey Jane.
Progestin Pills (e.g., levonorgestrel or Plan B): These pills work well up to 3 days after unprotected sex and if you weigh up to 165 pounds. It is available over the counter but can be obtained with a prescription. This option is available at Hey Jane.
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