There’s an app for that — technology is making it possible for women to get contraceptives a lot easier.
No matter which side of the fence you’re on, both pro-life and pro-choice advocates agree that it’s best to reduce the number of abortions — and new apps and website could make that a significant possibility.
There have been a proliferation of apps that allow women to order contraceptives straight to their door without having to face the inconvenience of going to the doctor or possibly facing discrimination from people who work at pharmacies who might reject their request on religious grounds.
It could be a huge step forward in getting women better access to contraceptives like birth control pills, rings and morning-after pills, cutting down on unwanted pregnancies and abortions, according to a New York Times story.
For example, one app called Nurx asks the question, “Wouldn’t it be nice if getting birth control were hassle free?”
It offers to provide contraceptives to women in three easy steps: “Select your brand, answer a few questions, enter your insurance and shipping info. A doctor in your state will review the request and write a prescription. Your prescription is delivered on-time and at no extra cost.”
And it could help women all around the world. A recent study found that a smartphone app that contained motivational videos aimed at helping rural women in India better understand contraceptive choices led to better contraceptive use.
“This study shows that mobile technology provides an innovative and dynamic platform for social and behavior change communication,” says Sanjanthi Velu, PhD, Asia team lead at CCP, which is part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a release earlier this year. “It can encourage conversations between women and frontline health workers that are interactive, culturally relevant, and personalized – and that lead to increased, sustained use of modern contraceptive methods.”