Online Birth Control for PCOS to Help Ease Your Symptoms

With Ro, birth control may be only three days away. You’ll get a response from a medical provider within 24 hours of your medication request. If your provider prescribes you birth control (and they’ll work to find an option that best aligns with your needs and preferences), you’ll receive the medication in just two business days. 

We love that the company offers low-cost, bundled care without going through insurance: for $19 a month, you get an initial consultation, medication, and ongoing care. Your provider is always there for you and will check in with you to see how you like (or don’t like) your birth control. Ro offers 17 birth control pills to choose from. If you don’t like your pills, you get one free month if you need to switch. Ro also includes emergency contraception with your first order; the company knows it can be hard to take birth control pills perfectly, so it wants you to have a backup, just in case. All of these aspects come together to make Ro the perfect choice if you’re looking for timely care to help manage your PCOS. 

While Ro now sells products such as birth control targeted at women’s health issues, the company started out as Roman in 2017 and was focused on providing treatment for men with erectile dysfunction. To get started with Ro, all you have to do is start your online consultation, where you’ll be asked questions that cover your health history, preferences, and goals. Then a provider will review your answers and, if necessary, schedule a check-in visit. Some states require consultations to be live, either via phone or video.

Unlike most other services, Nurx prescribes birth control to people aged 13 and up (though some states require parental consent). With Nurx, you can request a birth control prescription online at any time and message the medical team whenever it’s convenient for you. Nurx has more than 50 birth control options to choose from to fit teens’ varying lifestyles and medical needs. If there’s concern about remembering to take a pill at the same time every day, you can always try the patch, ring, or shot.

To get birth control through the company, you’ll have to answer a few questions on Nurx’s online intake form and pay the $25 medical consult fee. The cost includes access to unlimited messaging with Nurx’s medical teams for one year. Based on your answers to the intake questionnaire, a licensed provider will write a birth control prescription for you, if deemed appropriate. Then Nurx’s pharmacy will fill your prescription and send a three-month supply to your home. All of Nurx’s birth control comes in discreet packaging. You don’t need to remind Nurx to send refills, as it sends replacements every three months.  

Edvard Engesаeth, MD, and Hans Gangeskar founded Nurx in 2015 with the aim of getting birth control to everyone who wants it, no matter where they live. The company merged with Thirty Madison in February 2022. Nurx boasts on its website that it’s provided birth control to more than one million patients since its founding.

Nurx’s prices are hard to beat. The pill is as low as $0 with insurance or $15 per pack without insurance, the shot is as low as $0 with insurance or $75 per shot (taken every three months) without insurance, the ring is as low as $0 with insurance or $150 per ring (replaced monthly) without it, and the patch is as low as $0 with insurance or $50 per month without it.

Twentyeight Health offers more than 100 birth control brands, with options for the pill, patch, ring, and shot, along with emergency contraception. That means you’re sure to find a formulation and delivery method that both fits your life and addresses your PCOS symptoms.

To get birth control from Twentyeight Health, fill out its brief interactive medical questionnaire. If you have any questions during this process, you can securely message, or schedule an audio consultation, with one of Twentyeight Health’s doctors. Once a doctor has reviewed your request, they will write a prescription for birth control if medically appropriate. You can expect to receive your medication in three to five business days. A $26 fee covers the initial consultation, optional audio appointment, and a year of unlimited messaging with your doctor for any questions that pop up. 

Amy Fan and Bruno Van Tuykom founded Twentyeight Health in 2018 as a telehealth company to serve underserved women, including people with Medicaid. Anyone who is between the ages of 13 and 49 is eligible for Twentyeight Health (however, it’s best to check the company’s FAQ to ensure your state allows Twentyeight Health to give you birth control without parental consent; there are some criteria that may allow you to get birth control without parental consent, which is also covered in the FAQ). In addition to birth control, you can access herpes treatment and prenatal vitamins.

If you are paying out of pocket for birth control with Twentyeight Health, the company has savings you can take advantage of, such as $25 off per delivery if you order 12 packs per delivery. With your delivery, you can request emergency contraception and internal condoms (up to two boxes). Insurance can be used to cover prescriptions, but not the consult fee. Twentyeight Health is currently unavailable in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Pandia Health ships your birth control to you in one-, three-, six-, or 12-month supplies—whichever you prefer—and your new packs will always arrive before you finish your current pack. However, you must have an annual health consultation to have your prescription renewed beyond 12 months. Once you find a prescription you like to manage your PCOS symptoms, the option to get all the medication you need for the year sent to you upon prescribing is fantastic, as is the prospect of refills arriving before you run out. For PCOS treatment and pregnancy prevention, it’s important to never miss a dose. 

Pandia Health offers more than 40 types of birth control pills, as well as the patch and the ring. If you already have a birth control prescription, all you have to do is provide your prescription details and Pandia Health will take it from there. You’ll receive your birth control in the mail with free delivery and extras like candy, stickers, teas, and more. If you don’t have an existing prescription, you’ll fill out Pandia’s Health’s online health form for a doctor's evaluation. The consultation fee is $30 if you're requesting home delivery of your medication or $49 if requesting the prescription be sent to a local pharmacy. Doctors will review your questionnaire and match you with the birth control that best fits your needs. Then you’ll receive your birth control with automatic refills and free delivery. 

Sophia Yen, co-founder and CEO of Pandia Health, is a medical doctor with a master’s in public health who founded the company with the mission of improving “women’s lives by making healthcare better, easier, and safer.” The company is the first online birth control service founded by a woman doctor. With an MD CEO, patient education is a key feature of Pandia Health. The highly informative blog even has information on PCOS, and many of the articles are medically reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Yen herself. The only other service Pandia Health provides is prescription acne treatment. Teens under the age of 18 may request to use the service with parent/guardian involvement.

If you have any questions about birth control, you can access almost year-round (364 days) communication with Pandia Health’s expert doctors. Its patient care team is also a valuable resource and is reachable seven days a week, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT. Pandia Health will also periodically check in with you to make sure you’re happy with your birth control. Residents of any state can transfer an existing prescription to Pandia Health, but as of May 2023, telehealth prescribing services are only available to residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. Pandia has plans to expand to more states in 2023.

Wisp’s biggest selling point is the money you’ll save with its service, with birth control medication starting at $5 a month for a 90-day supply, free shipping, and the first month of medication free if you choose quarterly delivery. Plus, there’s no consultation fee. 

Wisp launched in 2018 and originally offered “discreet sexual health treatments online.” It has since expanded to offer birth control, emergency contraception, and treatments for common conditions like UTIs, yeast infections, oral and genital herpes, and more. The company also accepts health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) payments, which can help you save further. Insurance can only be used to cover the cost of prescriptions sent to your local pharmacy. Discounts apply to new quarterly subscriptions.

All of Wisp’s doctors are U.S. licensed and board-certified, giving you the peace of mind that your care is in the right hands. To get started with Wisp, you’ll fill out the company’s medical form, where you can choose from a one-time or recurring subscription plan. If you’re unsure which birth control is best for you, Wisp’s doctors will review your information to help you choose one that is medically appropriate for you. Within 24 hours (even on weekends), a doctor will follow up with you either via phone or secure chat and get your prescription in order. Wisp can send your meds in discreet packaging to your home for free, or you can pick them up same-day at a local pharmacy. Wisp’s services are available nationwide. 

You’ve probably heard of Planned Parenthood, but now meet its revolutionary app that brings birth control to your doorstep without a clinic visit. Planned Parenthood’s convenient app, Planned Parenthood Direct, makes birth control more accessible than ever, so people with PCOS who can’t access a physical clinic or don’t want an in-person visit can get the care they need. You don’t even have to have a computer, just a phone.

To request birth control, first download the Planned Parenthood Direct app. On the app, you’ll answer questions regarding your health, then enter your payment and shipping information. Your birth control request will then be sent to a clinician who will get back to you within one business day via the app. Shipping is free and your medication will be sent in discreet packaging (a plain white envelope).

There are 10 birth control pill options available. Prescriptions are mailed in either three- or six-month packs that can be automatically refilled for up to one year. Providers can also provide a prescription for the ring or patch, but these must be filled at a local pharmacy. If requesting birth control pills by mail, consultations are free. If you’re requesting a birth control prescription to be sent to a local pharmacy, consultations range from $15 to $25. You can message your provider through the app at any time. 

Planned Parenthood Direct offers education on different types of birth control and its effectiveness. In some states, you can request emergency contraception through the app too.  Planned Parenthood Direct is currently unavailable in Alabama, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia, but the Planned Parenthood website asserts service is “coming soon” to these states.

Alpha Medical offers the convenience of ordering birth control online, along with care for many other medical needs, from nutrition, skincare, and primary care to mental and behavioral health (though access to some services requires a Plus subscription).

Alpha Medical is an online healthcare provider founded in 2017. In addition to providing birth control, it offers care for over 100 medical conditions under the umbrellas of primary and urgent care, mental and behavioral health, women’s health, dermatology, and much more. That means in addition to requesting birth control, you can also get an appointment with an OB-GYN to discuss general PCOS diagnosis and treatment.

The company specifically looks to address PCOS with birth control and has several educational resources on its website and blog about the condition. Several birth control options are available, such as dozens of pill options, the patch, the ring, and emergency contraception. To request birth control, you’ll first answer questions about your health history online. You can describe your symptoms, if applicable, to help Alpha providers home in on the right prescription for you. An Alpha provider will review your answers and send you a treatment plan. You can contact Alpha’s care team through its secure messaging platform (someone will usually respond within 48 to 72 hours). Prescriptions through Alpha come with automatic refills. Depending on the medication, you will either have to pick it up at a pharmacy or it will be delivered to you.

Alpha charges a one-time $15 visit fee for birth control requests; visits for other health concerns are $35 each. If you plan on using the service regularly to discuss PCOS or other health issues, a membership might be your best bet. The Basic membership is $29 per month and provides two medical visits per month and care for over 100 medical conditions, from abnormal uterine bleeding and acne to excess body hair growth. A Plus membership is $49 per month and buys you four telehealth visits per month and access to weight loss, diabetes, and mental health services.

For $15 a month, a PlushCare membership buys you access to same-day appointments with board-certified doctors seven days a week and unlimited messaging with your care team, making it easy for you to get your birth control needs met fast and your questions answered quickly. When you have PCOS, the ability to see a physician within a few hours and message them anytime can be crucial. PlushCare is a true rarity among online birth control prescribers: you can use insurance to cover the cost of telehealth consultations. That’s great news, since without insurance, the cost of visits is among the highest we’ve come across. 

To get started, you have to first book an appointment online. Then, you’ll chat with a PlushCare doctor about your birth control options during a live video consultation. If they write you a prescription, all you have to do is pick it up from your local pharmacy. PlushCare doesn’t deliver birth control to your home. You can get the pill, ring, patch, shot, and even an IUD or implant, though these last two must be inserted by a medical professional in person.  

James Wantuck, MD, and Ryan McQuaid founded PlushCare in 2014 as a telemedicine platform that not only provides birth control but other healthcare, like urgent care and mental health treatment. PlushCare members also have access to a prescription discount card, which can lower birth control costs that aren’t covered by insurance, as well as discounted lab tests. Limited access to PlushCare’s services is available without a membership by calling 1-800-221-5140.