Memphis

United States / Tennessee / Memphis

OVERVIEW

In Tennessee, you need a prescription for contraception (birth control). If you're a minor, you don't need parental consent or notification to get a prescription. You don't need a prescription for emergency contraception (the morning after pill) -- and, if you're a minor, you can get one emergency contraceptive brand (Plan B One Step) without a prescription. Everyone, no matter their age, needs to get a prescription for ella, which is currently considered the most effective emergency contraceptive on the market. You can easily get low-cost STI tests in the city, and some clinics offer free HIV testing. In supermarkets and convenience stores, you can find pads, tampons and menstrual cups, such as DivaCup. If you want to obtain an abortion, you must first undergo a one-on-one counseling session followed by a 48-hour wait period. If you're under 18 years old, you must usually get consent from one of parents before you receive an abortion (though you can sometimes get a judicial bypass).

Contraception (Birth Control)

Birth control sold in the USA

Condoms

General Note: There are many types of contraceptives, also known as "birth control," including IUDs, oral contraceptives, patches, shots, and condoms, etc. If you would like to view a full list, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Tennessee, you need a prescription to obtain most birth control methods, except for some methods (like condoms and spermicide). If you're a minor (under 18 years old), you can get a prescription without parental consent. If you want to be especially confidential, you can go to a Title X Clinic. These clinics are completely confidential, which means that your appointment and billing will be confidential.

At Title X Clinics, teens and adults can receive sexual and reproductive health care. They charge on a sliding-scale basis. They may be able to give you a prescription to birth control pills, as well as condoms and sexual health counseling. If you pay for their services with family health insurance and you're a teenager, your parents may see that you visited the clinic in their bills.

What to Get & Where to Get It

You can get condoms in grocery stores, drug stores, convenience stores and online. There are no age restrictions for purchasing condoms. Typically, a 12-pack of condoms costs around $12. Female condoms cost around $2 to $4 per condom. You can also get free condoms at health centers (like Planned Parenthood), HIV testing centers and local health departments. Call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) to learn where you can get free condoms in your area.

Planned Parenthood - Memphis Health Center 2430 Poplar Ave #100 (901) 725-1717 Open until 2:00 PM

They offer birth control, sti testing, abortion services and other women's health services. They accept a wide-array of insurance policies and have sliding scale and free options to women who are unable to pay.

Drop-ins are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am-6pm

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/tennessee/memphis/38112/memphis-health-center-3348-91550?utm_campaign=memphis-health-center&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=local-listing

A Step Ahead Foundation (901) 320-7837 http://www.astepaheadfoundation.org/services/

This center offers three types of reversible birth control for free: Hormonal and Non-Hormonal UIDs, and Implants. Additionally, they have a lot of options that help make access easier. They have a 24/7 help line (901-320-STEP), Free cab rides to and from the clinic, and free contraceptive counseling. They have also pledged to never charge those without the means to pay "Free means free".

CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health Women's Health Clinic 1726 Poplar Ave (901) 274-3550 https://memphischoices.org/

Choices Memphis offers a wide array of women-centered health care services including abortion services, birth control, pregnancy testing, fertility planning, HIV and STI testing and treatment and cervical tests and screenings.

Choices is an independent non profit organization that's mission is to provide affordable health care options to teens and women in a safe environment.

They offer discreet online booking and counseling via their website.

Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)

Important Notes: Emergency contraception may prevent pregnancy for three days (72 hours) and sometimes five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Take EC as soon as possible after unprotected sex. If you don't have access to dedicated EC, oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC, but remember the following: 1) Only some contraceptives work as EC 2) Different contraceptives require different dosages and time schedules to work as EC 3) You must only use the first 21 pills in 28-day packs and 4) They may be less effective than dedicated EC. For general information on emergency contraceptives, click here and here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Tennessee, anyone (no matter their age) can buy Plan B One-Step without a prescription. For other brands, like Next, Next Choice One Dose, My Way and Levonorgestrel, you can buy them without a prescription if you are 17 or older. If you want the ella pill, you'll need a prescription (regardless of age).

What to Get & Where to Get It

In the United States, you'll generally be able to find Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One-Dose and My Way in pharmacies. Here's a full breakdown of what you can expect to find, thanks to the Princeton EC Website:

Dedicated Products / Anti-Progestin Take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex:

• ella

Dedicated Products / Progestin Only Take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex:

• My Way
• Next Choice One Dose
• Plan B One-Step
• Take Action

Take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex:

• Levonorgestrel Tablets (available from a pharmacist without a prescription)

If you can't access emergency contraception, many oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC. The list of potential contraceptives that can be used for this purpose is very long, and instructions vary according to the specific brand. So, to find specific instructions based on the brands you may have available, please check out the Princeton EC Website. You can search for EC under "United States" and see recommended pills and dosages on that site.

Important Note: If you have been raped and want emergency contraception, you can get it at an emergency room or hospital. You can also call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which is open 24 hours and will let you know where you can get EC. For more information, you can also visit the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) website.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs/STDs)

Important Notes - Learn about PEP and PrEP: If you think that you've been recently exposed to HIV (i.e. within 72 hours), seek out PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a month-long treatment to prevent HIV infection after exposure, and it may be available in your city. Take PEP as soon as possible. For more information, click here. If you are at risk of HIV exposure, seek out PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a daily oral pill that can prevent HIV infection before exposure. To learn more about PrEP, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

The United States has no travel restrictions related to HIV status. In 2013, there were 4004 people living with HIV in Nashville. For details on HIV rates and transmission in Nashville, click here.

We include information on PrEP and PEP availability in the "Medications & Vaccines" section.

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• If you think you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), you'll need to visit a doctor, who will give you a check-up and test to see if you have a UTI. If you do have a UTI, you will be prescribed antibiotics to treat the infection. You cannot get UTI antibiotic medication without a prescription.
• If you have a yeast infection, you can get treatment over-the-counter (no prescription needed). The most common yeast infection treatment in the United States is called "Monistat." There are different treatment plans (for example, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days). It's recommended to do more than 1 day to completely clear the infection.
• At Metro Public Health or Planned Parenthood, you can get treatment for many STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.
• You should be able to access the HPV vaccine in Tennessee. Contact your doctor to ask about Gardasil or other HPV vaccines.
• You can get PrEP in Tennessee. You can check out this website to find PrEP providers in your area.
• You should be able PEP in Tennessee. Call your local hospital or emergency room for details.

Menstruation

Note: In addition to pads and tampons, you can also use menstrual cups and menstrual underwear for your period. To learn more about menstrual cups, click here. To learn more about menstrual underwear, click here.

What to Get & Where to Get It

You can get pads, tampons, menstrual cups and menstrual underwear. You'll be able to find pads and tampons in most grocery stores and convenience stores. For menstrual cups, you can find them at Walgreens, CVS and Target Stores. For menstrual underwear, you can check out the Thinx website or search for "menstrual underwear" or "period panties."

Gynecological Exams

Pregnancy

Laws & Social Stigmas

In the United States, the National Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave for women. But the FLMA has loopholes (for example, it doesn't apply to companies with less than 50 employees). So, for this reason, many women don't actually receive 12 weeks of maternity leave, and many women (even if their employers do qualify) can't take off 12 weeks of unpaid work. There is currently no comparable federal paternity leave policy in the United States.

Abortion

Important Note: There are two main types of abortions: medical (also known as the "abortion pill") and surgical (also known as "in-clinic"). For medical abortions, you take a pill to induce abortion. For surgical abortions, a procedure is performed to induce abortion. For general information about medical and surgical abortions, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In the United States, abortion has been fully legal since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision (1973). However, it is continually challenged. In Tennessee, there are restrictions placed on abortion access. For a woman to legally obtain an abortion, she must first seek state-directed counseling. During this time, the counselor usually reads from a script, which will aim to discourage the woman from obtaining an abortion. She will then have to wait 48 hours before receiving the abortion. This means that the pregnant woman must visit the clinic at least two times before obtaining the abortion.

If you're 18 years old and want an abortion in Tennessee, it's required that one of your parents gives consent (i.e. "parental consent"). If you cannot manage to get parental consent, you can potentially get a "judicial bypass." This is when you ask a judge for permission instead or, if it's an emergency (for medical reasons), you can get special permission. For more information on parental consent laws, click here.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Important Note: Be careful -- there are some places that advertise themselves as abortion clinics, but they're actually anti-abortion clinics, typically run by pro-life Christian conservatives. They're known as crisis pregnancy centers (PRC). The main issues with these centers are that 1) They often falsely advertise themselves as abortion clinics and 2) They don't allow people to make choices for themselves (they only accept one choice). For these reasons, if you're looking for an abortion provider, we urge you to carefully select a trusted service. For more information on PRC, click here.

• Choices Memphis https://memphischoices.org/ offers both the abortion pill and surgical abortion. They are an independently owned non-profit clinic with donations to make services affordable for most women.
• Planned Parenthood:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/tennessee/memphis/38112/memphis-health-center-3348-91550?_ga=1.140600626.1465123266.1489262894

Costs

Nationwide, the abortion pill can cost $800, but often less. For an in-clinic procedure, abortions can cost $1500, but often less. You can often find cheaper options at Planned Parenthood or some clinics. For low-income women (regardless of citizenship status), there are a variety of programs that may help pay for these costs.

If you need help paying for an abortion, call the National Abortion Federation Hotline at 1-800-772-9100, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). The hotline can tell you where and how to get financial help for an abortion in the U.S.

Advocacy & Counseling

What to Get & Where to Get It

• For emergencies, call 911 to get police and an ambulance.
• If you're dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline Number at 1-800-787-3224. "Our highly-trained advocates are available 24/7 to talk confidentially with anyone experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship. "
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255. "We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals."
• If you have been abused and are in need of support, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) may be able to provide help and counseling. Visit their website call their 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.
• The Trevor Project (Lifeline): Call: 866-488-7386. This is a 24/7 hotline for LGBT youth. "Our trained counselors are here to support you 24/7. If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the Trevor Lifeline now at 866-488-7386."
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender National Hotline: Toll-free: 1-888-843-4564. HOURS: Monday thru Friday from 1pm to 9pm, pacific time (Monday thru Friday from 4pm to midnight, eastern time). Saturday from 9am to 2pm, pacific time. (Saturday from noon to 5pm, eastern time). "All of our services are free and confidential.We speak with callers of all ages about coming-out issues, relationship concerns, bullying, workplace issues, HIV/AIDS anxiety and safer-sex information, and lots more!"