Alexa Can Now Remind You To Take Your Birth Control
Amazon is now making it easier than ever for you to take your birth control on time
If remembering to take your birth control remains high on the list of things you find yourself low-key panicking over (no judgments!), we’re here with news that will make your life so much easier. Nurx, a sexual health telemedicine platform, has just announced that they’ve partnered with Amazon, making it easy and seamless to schedule a regular birth control reminder, as well as get instant access to repro health info, all through Alexa’s signature voice controls.
The innovative new feature, called the Birth Control and Sexual Health Knowledge Skill, allows users to say “Alexa, launch Nurx,” which will then prompt a birth control reminder for the time and frequency of your choice — so you literally never have those panic-inducing moments of “oh shit, I forgot to take my BCP” ever again. As the largest telehealth practice with a focus on reproductive health on the block, Nurx delivers personalized, expert care, affordable prescriptions (including birth control, PrEP, acne meds, migraine meds, and more), and sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests to more than 500,000 people on a monthly basis in the U.S. The partnership will help users not only take their contraceptive of choice on time, but will also help them receive rapid guidance and suggestions from their team of experts about a number of reproductive health topics.
“The birth control pill is highly effective but only if you take it every day, and with progestin-only pills you have to take them within a daily 3-hour window,” as Nancy Shannon, MD, PhD, Senior Medical Director at Nurx, exclusively tells Scary Mommy. “We know that many of our patients struggle with remembering because we get questions all the time from people who forgot to take one or more pills and are worried, or requesting emergency contraception. We hope that voice reminders from Nurx through Alexa will be that extra nudge that helps people stay on track with this important medication.”
Even better news? You don’t have to be a Nurx member for access to this trusty new tool. Anyone with an Alexa-enabled device can try it by visiting the Skills Store in the Alexa app.
“The Nurx mission has always been to leverage technology to empower patients to be in control of their health,” said Nurx CEO Varsha Rao in a press release announcing the partnership. “The capabilities of Amazon Alexa provide an exciting new way for us to reach patients where they are, to communicate vital reminders and information about their health and healthcare.”
Currently available to users in more than 30 states, Nurx provides easy, low-cost care to those who need it, including birth control (with options for the pill, patch, ring, and shot); skincare services for acne, rosacea, aging concerns, and more; and other sexual health needs such as testing and treatment. Consultations and care for patients without insurance are as low as $15, offering a judgment-free zone to receive exactly what you need, wherever you are. And the added peace of mind knowing you’ll never miss your designated contraceptive time? That’s priceless.
