Planned Parenthood of New Mexico is working to lower that number in part through a new campaign, called Pills Now Pay Later, which aims to get birth control in the hands of women with far less of the usual hoop-jumping. Show up at any of PPNM's medical offices to get a year's supply of hormonal birth control up front, and set up a $20 a month payment plan (if you desire, you can have a monthly fee charged to your checking account or credit card). Ortho products Tri-Cyclen, Tri-Cylen Lo, Nuva-Ring (for those of you who would rather insert a little plastic ring once a month than take a pill every day) and The Patch (for those who prefer to slap something on your hide once a week) are included.
Most insurance plans require a $10 to $30 co-pay for birth control, as well as a monthly visit to your pharmacist.
You also no longer have to get a Pap before you can get a birth control prescription, just a blood pressure check and a quick review of your medical history. So you can be in and out relatively quickly.
Planned Parenthood also gives out free condoms (although they don't dish out boxes of the stuff, usually just three at a time), and they've recently started a policy of trying to make sure that all sexually active women who enter their offices walk out with a medicine cabinet-staple: Plan B (a.k.a. the morning-after pill).
Visit PPNM's website for more information http://www.ppnewmex.org/index.html.
