Don’t Be Spooked by These 7 Sexual Health Scares
Frightened by one of these health situations? The Nurx medical team has solutions.
It isn’t hocus pocus to say that certain sexual health situations can be frightening, but with a little knowledge and preparation there’s nothing to fear. Learn how to cope with seven potentially scary scenarios.
Pregnancy Tests
A late period can be terrifying if you’re not ready to have a baby (or another one).
Fear fix: When you use hormonal birth control and take it on schedule you’re almost completely protected from unintended pregnancy. If you have trouble remembering to take a daily pill, avoid pregnancy panics by instead using the birth control ring, which you replace once a month, the birth control shot, which you receive about every three months, or an IUD, which can last from three to ten+ years.
Undiagnosed STIs
If you have a sexually transmitted infection without knowing, it can lead to infertility, painful scarring, and, in some cases, serious health problems.
Fear fix: There’s really nothing to fear about sexually transmitted infections—they’re all manageable or curable as long as you catch them. Prevent an infection from having scary effects by getting tested for common STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. STI Home Test Kits make it easy and discreet.
Herpes Outbreaks
Herpes is super-common and nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s normal to fear an outbreak at the wrong time.
Fear fix: Nurx prescribes antiviral medication valacyclovir and delivers it to your door, so you can take it at the first sign of an outbreak or to prevent outbreaks and make it less likely that you’ll pass the virus to others.
Broken Condoms
Safe sex quickly becomes scary sex when a condom breaks during the act.
Fear fix: Request Ella through Nurx. Our medical team will write you a prescription and either send it to you with expedited shipping call the prescription in to a pharmacy near you for quick pick-up. You can protect yourself from future condom failures by ordering emergency contraception in advance to have on hand. In that case we’ll deliver it to your door for free.
Speculums and Stirrups
Nobody looks forward to getting a pelvic exam, and some women find it downright terrifying — for instance, survivors of sexual abuse sometimes report experiencing extreme anxiety when their feet are in the stirrups.
Fear fix: While we recommend all of our patients schedule an annual doctor visit, if you’re 30 or older you do have the option of screening for cervical cancer from the convenience of your own home by testing yourself for Human papillomavirus (HPV). Certain high-risk strains of HPV are responsible for most cervical cancer, so if you test negative for those strains you don’t need a Pap test for up to 5 more years. The Nurx HPV Home Test Kit makes it convenient to do yourself, no cold metal stirrups required.
PMS and Hormonal Acne
Rogue pimples, carb cravings, crying fits, stabbing cramps — these are among the terrors visited on many women each month before and during their periods.
Fear fix: Hormonal birth control can lessen or eliminate PMS symptoms by reducing hormone fluctuations, and makes periods lighter and less painful. The birth control pill Yaz (which comes in generic forms) is specifically FDA-approved to treat PMDD (an extreme form of PMS). In some cases, PMDD is best treated by an antidepressant. You can request antidepressants for PMDD from Nurx, and receive an online evaluation by a medical provider who will determine the best treatment plan for your symptoms.
Birth control may put an end to monthly acne breakouts, either on its own or as part of a comprehensive acne treatment plan. Skipping periods by taking birth control continuously is another fix — no periods, no PMS, and less hormone-related skin issues.
Surprise Co-pays
We’ve all been there: Picking up a prescription at the pharmacy and being presented with a hair-raising high price tag.
Fear fix: At Nurx we clearly list medication prices on our website, so there are no scary surprise charges. We offer many birth control brands for $15 per month when you pay directly, and most of our insurance patients have a $0 copay for their birth control.
The information provided in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely upon the content provided in this article for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.