New to BC Initial appointment on Thrus.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-05-2004
New to BC Initial appointment on Thrus.
4
Tue, 08-29-2006 - 12:27pm
Hi, I'm 21 yrs. old, and I decided to get birth control pills or to get on Birth Control. I have my appointment at Planned Parenthood on Thrusday. I'm a poor college student, so I was told that Planned Parenthood will help you out if you are tight on money. What should I expect during the appointment?? Any suggestions on what to ask?? I'm kind of nervous but excited that I finally decided to schedule an appointment.
Thanks
Nikki
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 08-29-2006 - 1:49pm

Hi Nikki, welcome!


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-18-2006
Tue, 08-29-2006 - 2:03pm

I have never been to planned parenthood, but I imagine it's going to be similar to going to the doctor or to health services at college, and I've done both of those for birth control. When you tell them you are sexually active, they will examine you (I'm assuming you've been to the gynecologist before, but if you haven't, it's really not that bad), and talk about options with you. They'll ask if there is breast cancer in your family, and about any other hereditary diseases, if you've had blood clots, etc. They're usually pretty eager to put you on a method of birth control, so this isn't something to worry too much about, but you should have a general idea of your medical history before your appointment.

If you can't be on hormonal birth control, they may discuss other options like diaphragms, cervical caps, and iuds. If you have a certain pill in mind, or certain worries about side effects of the pill, you should tell them so they can figure out which pill might be a good start for you. According to the Planned Parenthood website, they can't tell how much appointments, ect. cost for individual centers, but I am sure you will be able to discuss cost when you go for your appointment, and it will probably be less than a copay.

If you are a college student, another thing youyou may want to consider is to check with the health services and see what their prices for certain pills are. Usually they are really cheap. At my school, for example, you can get a lot of common pills for $5/month (you have to buy them in packs of 3, so the pricing is technically "$15 for 3 months" but my insurance copay is $20/month for pills, so that is a big difference). So that may be worth investigating for price options.

Good luck at your appointment!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2005
Tue, 08-29-2006 - 2:41pm
I did the same thing you are going to do about 2 months ago. All you have to do is fill out the papers/forms they gave you or find them on the planned parenthood website. There isnt any exam or anything when you go to your appointment. They will weigh you and ask about your sexual history and ask you what you are there for. They can show you all the diferent methods of taking birth control and all the differences, side effects, and help you decide what is best for you. After that i saw another nurse and she went over my papers just to make sure. They give you a card that puts you in a program, if you are eligible, and it helps you pay for your bc. I didnt have to pay anything. I chose the pill. She gave me a paper bag with a years supply of pill packs (12 packs) and showed me how to take them. It was all painless, easy, and fast. The only thing that sucked was the wait before hand and the wait in between seeing the nurses. And now I dont have to go back until next year. They have full confidentiality and wont tell or contact anyone. THey ask for your phone number and address and stuff but Ive never been contacted by anyone. They will answer ANY questions you have, so ask as many as possible, write down any you have now and take it with you cause you might draw a blank when you get there.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-05-2004
Tue, 08-29-2006 - 9:14pm

Thank you to everyone for all of your information. I feel more prepared for my appointment, I am hoping it will not run too long, or that I will not have to wait long because I have class later on during the day. I'll let you all know how the appointment went.

Thanks again,
Nikki