Girls as young as 13-years-old can now receive birth control online without their parent’s consent through a new smart phone app called ‘Nurx‘.
Once the smartphone app is downloaded, a girl fills out a quick patient survey, then talks to a state-licensed doctor about their medical history, mostly through instant messages on the app. If approved, the birth control can then either be mailed to the patient or picked up a local pharmacy.
The new app has been causing controversy ever since it was launched last month.
The NC Values Coalition released the following statement about the new app:
Nurx is dangerous, because it provides another way for children under the age of 18 to obtain contraceptives without the knowledge or consent of their parents. In North Carolina, contraceptives can only be administered by obtaining a prescription from a licensed physician, so Nurx must utilize telemedicine (the practice of doctors seeing patients online through teleconferencing). Legislation passed this year (HB 283) [that] requires the state to study how to regulate telemedicine, and NC Values Coalition will certainly be advocating for legislators to prohibit the use of telemedicine by minors to obtain contraception.
According to Nurx, as long as their patients are healthy, they should be able to receive birth control. The company said it doesn’t have a problem treating teens without parents knowing.
What are your thoughts on the new app?