Atlanta

United States / Georgia / Atlanta

OVERVIEW

As the largest city in Georgia, you will find many health care resources in Atlanta. However, as a more conservative American state, you will need to be careful about choosing your health care providers in Georgia. You need a prescription to obtain birth control. If you're a minor, it's recommended that you visit a Title X clinic to seek out birth control or counseling. If you want emergency contraception (the morning after pill), you can access it without a prescription. You can simply go to a pharmacy or health center and purchase it. There are some low-cost centers for STI/STD tests, and we have a list of places where you can find PrEP in Atlanta. Abortion is legal in all cases for the first 2 trimesters of pregnancy. However, there are restrictions, like mandatory counseling, 24 hour wat periods and parental notification for minors.

Contraception (Birth Control)

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 Georgia, you need a prescription to obtain hormonal or long-lasting birth control methods. If you're a minor (under 18 years old), you don't need permission from your parents to get a prescription. This means that you can go to a doctor's office or health clinic yourself, regardless of age, and get a prescription for birth control. If you want to go to a clinic that guarantees completely confidential appointments, billings and records, you can go to a Title X clinic. Title X clinics provide sexual and reproductive health care girls, boys, teens and adults, and they charge on a sliding-scale basis (meaning you pay what you can afford). You can also ask doctor's about their confidentiality rules before scheduling an appointment.

In Georgia, sex education is required in schools but teaching about contraceptive methods (such as the pill, IUDs, etc.) is not required. Abstinence is taught as the only truly effective method and, in 2010, Atlanta received $1,810,331for abstinence-only-until-marriage education.

What to Get & Where to Get It

Birth control sold in the USA

Condoms

You don't need a prescription to buy condoms. No matter your age, you can purchase condoms at drugstores, pharmacies, grocery stores or online.

If you want hormonal or long-lasting birth control methods, like pills, shots, implant, IUD, etc, check out this list of recommended clinics:

• The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc: This is a Title X clinic, meaning they confidentially help everyone (regardless of age) and charge on a sliding-scale basis. You can consult with them about getting a prescription and getting birth control. Address: 868 York Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, (404) 752-1400.
• Atlanta Women's Medical Center: Call: (800) 877-6332. 235 West Wieuca Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30342
• Grady Health System - Family Planning Clinic: They have a teen center that's LGBT friendly and a regular family planning center. They accept uninsured people and have sliding-scale fees. Grady can provide birth control, including pills, IUDs (hormonal and non-hormonal) and shots. Grady accepts private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and workers’ compensation. We accept cash, checks, traveler’s check, money orders, Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express for payment. Address: 80 Jesse Hill Jr Drive SE, South Towers, Atlanta, GA, 30303, (404) 616-3678
• Center for Black Women's Wellness: They accept uninsured people, provide low-cost services and have LGBT-friendly services. They offer birth control, including pills and IUDs (hormonal and non-hormonal). Address: 477 Windsor Street, Suite 309, Atlanta, GA, 30312, (404) 688-9202.
• Feminist Women's Health Center: They have low-cost & LGBT-friendly services. Provide birth control, including pills, implants and IUDs (hormonal and non-hormonal). Open since 1977. Address: 924 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, (404) 728-7900.
• Emory University Hospital Midtown: They accept health insurance. They can provide birth control, including pills, implants and IUDs (hormonal and non-hormonal). You can get same-day insertions for IUDs and have LGBT-friendly services. You can request a female provider. Address: 550 Peachtree Street Ne, Atlanta, GA, 30308, (404) 778-3401.

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 Georgia, if you're over 18 years old, you can buy most emergency contraception (the morning after pill) brands without a prescription over the counter. If you're under 18 years old, you can by one brand of emergency contraception (Plan B Step-One) over the counter without a prescription. For other brands, like Next Choice, Next Choice One Dose and My Way, you will need a prescription (if you're under 18 years old). Also, if you want to buy the ella pill, which is currently considered the most effective EC, you'll need a prescription (regardless of age).

What to Get & Where to Get It

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 ore 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.

Testing Facilities

• Someone Cares, Inc. of Atlanta: They not only provide HIV and STI tests, but they're also known to be respectful of the trans community. Address: AID Atlanta, 1605 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309-2955, 404) 870-7700
• Evolution Project Atlanta: They not only provide HIV and STI tests, but they're also known to be respectful of the trans community. Address: 1530 DeKalb Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, (404) 870-7727
• Grady Health: They do low-cost HIV tests. They accept the uninsured and have sliding-scale fees.
• Center for Black Women's Wellness: They do HIV and other STI tests. They accept uninsured people, provide low-cost services and have LGBT-friendly services. Address: 477 Windsor Street, Suite 309, Atlanta, GA, 30312, (404) 688-9202.

Support

• Grady Health: They accept the uninsured and have sliding-scale fees. "Primary medical care for men, women, adolescents, and children living with HIV/AIDS. Transition centers for HIV-infected individuals with <200 CD4 cells. Subspecialty care in Dermatology, Hepatitis C, Mental Health/Substance Abuse Treatment, Ophthalmology, and Oral Health. Case management, adherence counseling, nutrition, on-site radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, and peer counseling." Grady accepts private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and workers’ compensation. We accept cash, checks, traveler’s check, money orders, Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express for payment. Address: 80 Jesse Hill Jr Drive SE, South Towers, Atlanta, GA, 30303, (404) 616-3678.

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• For yeast infections, you can get Monistat at drug stores, grocery stores or pharmacies. You don't need a prescription.
• If you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), you will need to get an examination and prescription for UTI medication (antibiotics).
• You can get the HPV vaccine throughout the United States.

Here is where you can get PrEP in Atlanta:

• AID Atlanta: Address: Limited appointments available for uninsured. 404-870-7762 (2273), 1605 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation-Lithonia: 770-593-6684, 5700 Hillandale Dr., Lithonia, GA 30058
• Absolute CARE: 404-231-4431, 2140 Peachtree Rd. NW, Suite 232, Atlanta, GA 30309
• Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness: 404-613-4708, 99 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Intown Primary Care: (404) 541-0944, 730 Ponce De Leon Pl., Unit B, Atlanta, GA 30306
• Infectious Disease of Atlanta, LLC (AHF Affiliate): 404-588-4680, 735 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
• Positive Impact Health Centers, Inc.: 678-365-4300
• MISTER Center: 1117 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
• Dr. Melanie Thompson: 404-874-3102, 619 Rankin St., Atlanta, GA 30306

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

In Atlanta, you can find pads, tampons and menstrual cups. You can find DivaCup and other menstrual cup brands at Walgreen's, CVS, Whole Foods, West View Giant Eagle Supermarket and some Target locations (for example, 1275 Caroline St NE). For some international menstrual cup brands, like MoonCup or LadyCup, you can order them online and they will be delivered to your address. For eco-friendly menstrual products (like organic tampons), you can find them at Publix Super Market, CVS Pharmacy, Whole Foods, Target, Ingles Food, Kmart, Kroger Marketplace, Kroger Store and Sevanada Natural Foods Market. For menstrual underwear, you can purchase Thinx underwear online.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Annual Wellness Exam @ Feminist Women's Center: Provides individualized and sensitized care that is low-cost and LGBT friendly. Address: 1924 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, (404) 728-7900.
• Trans Health Initiative @ Women's Health Center: Specializes in services to FTM, Transmasculine, and Intersex clients. Provides lower and pelvic exams, HPV testing, chest exams (pre and post-surgical), STI screenings, hormone replacement therapy, lab work, and gender marker change letters. Affordable rates with sliding scale discounts available. Available services for MTF as well. " We understand that this may be a stressful experience so we offer private rooms for you and your partner or friend, smaller sized instruments, a relaxant prior to the exam, and anesthesia in some cases."7
• Grady Health: They accept the uninsured and have sliding-scale fees. "Our gynecology services include diagnosis and management of reproductive system disorders such as pelvic pain, menstrual abnormalities, menopause issues benign pelvic and uterine tumors; endometriosis; incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse." Grady accepts private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and workers’ compensation. We accept cash, checks, traveler’s check, money orders, Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express for payment. Address: 80 Jesse Hill Jr Drive SE, South Towers, Atlanta, GA, 30303, (404) 616-3678.

Pregnancy

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Grady Health: They accept the uninsured and have sliding-scale fees. "Our obstetrics services include complete care for pregnant women is provided in our prenatal clinics, with an emphasis on patient centered care. Innovative group prenatal care is available." Grady accepts private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and workers’ compensation. We accept cash, checks, traveler’s check, money orders, Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express for payment. Address: 80 Jesse Hill Jr Drive SE, South Towers, Atlanta, GA, 30303, (404) 616-3678.

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

Since 1973, abortion has been legal in the United States under the Roe vs. Wade decision. In Georgia, abortion is fully legal until 20 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. until the second trimester of pregnancy). After that time, a woman can only receive an abortion if it is considered medically necessary (i.e. the pregnancy endangers the health or life of the woman). As written in a report, "This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy." In order for a pregnancy to be performed after the second trimester, a physician and two consulting physicians must confirm that the abortion is medically necessary (to preserve the life or health of the mother).

While abortion is legal, it's certainly not free of restrictions in Georgia. The state is largely conservative and traditional religious beliefs play a large role in politics. For a woman to legally obtain an abortion, she must first receive counseling (which is managed by the state) that includes information explicitly urging her from seeking out an abortion. Following this counseling, the pregnant woman must wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided. After the first trimester, the abortion must be performed in a licensed hospital or health facility.

If you're under 18 years old and want an abortion in Georgia, it's required that one of your parents gets legally notified (i.e. "parental notification"). If you cannot manage the parental notification, you can 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.

Across the country, including in Georgia, there has been mounting pressure on abortion clinics. In the last decade, many abortion clinics have been closing in large numbers due to lack of funding and support. In fact, in 2014, it was found that 96% of Georgia counties had no clinics that provided abortions and 58% of Georgian women lived in those counties, despite the fact the legality of abortion, according to the Supreme Court decision. According to one report, "There were 28 abortion-providing facilities in Georgia in 2014, and 17 of those were clinics. These numbers represent no change since 2011 in overall providers, and a a 11% decline in clinics from 2011, when there were 28 abortion providers overall, of which 19 were clinics."

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Feminist Women's Health Center: Provide medical abortions and, in the first and second trimester, they also perform surgical abortions.They have low-cost & LGBT-friendly services. Open since 1977. "As a non-profit organization, we are able to offer affordable pricing, discounts for students, medicare/medicaid card holders, and those who demonstrate financial need. Each pregnancy, woman, and situation is different. Please call our friendly Health Educators at 404-728-7900 or 800-877-6013 to discuss your situation and to learn about our fees." Address: 924 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, (404) 728-7900.
• Carefem - Atlanta Health Center: They offer medical and surgical abortion. "Abortion up to 13 weeks; offering the abortion pill as well as the carafem procedure. Abortion cost: $475 (out of pocket) for the abortion pill, $550 (out of pocket) for the carafem procedure. Click here for more info about what is included in your appointment." Address: 1800 Peachtree St NW, Suite 800 Atlanta, Georgia 30309 855-SAY-CARA
• Summit Medical Associates: "Summit Medical Associates, P.C. is our Atlanta abortion clinic offers choice for women seeking the highest quality abortion care and reproductive healthcare in the southeast since 1975." Address: 1874 Piedmont Ave NE, Suite 500-E, Atlanta, GA 30324. Phone: (404) 607-0042 | (800) 537-2985
• A Preferred Women's Health Center of Atlanta: APWHC Atlanta is located in a private office park and provides low-cost abortion care through 13 weeks. This location offers both the surgical procedure and abortion pill option. Patients can call the counseling staff at (404) 758-9900 to discuss appointment scheduling, financial assistance, and patient care options. "Atlanta women say that we are the preferred choice for preferred care!"

Note: Planned Parenthood Atlanta does not provide abortions (as of January 2017) but can provide abortion referral services. Their website says "This health center doesn’t provide abortion services — but we can help you. Call us for a referral list of health care providers in your area that offer abortion services." However, the Planned Parenthood Gwinnett Center (in Lawrenceville, GA) does provide abortion services.

Costs

In Georgia, abortion is not generally covered under Medicaid. In cases of life endangerment, rape or incest, Georgia does provide some federal funds coverage for abortions.

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.

Advocacy & Counseling

• Trauma Survivor Care @ Feminist Women's Health Center: They have low-cost services. "Our sensitive care for survivors of physical violence or trauma program seeks to address the specific physical and emotional needs of our clients by offering a unique program for survivors of violence to include domestic or gang violence, sexual assault, abuse, or incest." Address: 1924 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, (404) 728-7900.

List of Additional Resources

• Center for Black Women's Wellness: "Over the past 30 years, the Center for Black Women’s Wellness has created a legacy in the Atlanta community. That legacy ensures that women and families will always have access to quality healthcare. We know physical, mental, emotional, and financial health is the foundation for full and productive lives where individuals can thrive and not merely survive." Address: 477 Windsor Street SW, Suite 309, Atlanta, GA 30312. Phone: (404)688-9202. Email: info@cbww.org