When you’re traveling, you want to be sure to have as much fun and excitement as possible. Unfortunately, your relaxing vacation can quickly turn stressful if you run out of your birth control in the middle of your trip.
If you’re in a new or unfamiliar location, then you might not know where or how to get more. Here are some tips that will help you decide what to do when you run out of birth control while traveling.
Bring Along Condoms
No one thinks that they’ll run out of or lose their birth control while traveling, but the fact of the matter is that it does happen. If you’re planning a trip and want to make sure that you’re fully protected from both unplanned pregnancies and STDs, you should bring along backup contraceptives just in case you run out of your pills.
In some locations, it may not be possible to replace your pills, so you should be sure to have a supply of condoms with you if you plan to have sex on your vacation. Unless you’re seeking to get pregnant, having unprotected sex on your vacation isn’t worth the risk, which is why it’s imperative to make sure you have multiple forms of contraception available to you. If possible, you may also want to bring along a form of emergency contraception. While emergency contraception won’t protect you from STDs, it can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.
Visit a Local Health Department
Depending on where you’re traveling, visiting the local health department can be an effective birth control travel tip. In some cases, the health department may be able to give you an emergency supply of birth control that will keep you protected until you return home and are able to refill your prescription.
If the health department is unable to provide you with the same type of birth control that you’re already using, they may be able to give you a backup contraceptive that you can use until your trip has ended. Should you have access to a pharmacy, be prepared to pay cash to refill your prescription, especially if you’re outside of your home country. Your insurance may not cover the refill depending on your location.
Refill Before Your Trip
Image via Flickr by wuestenigel
One of the tricky things about traveling is that you may find yourself in a location that lacks pharmacies or that has pharmacies that are unable to refill your prescription. If you want to make sure that you have enough birth control for your trip, you should consider getting a refill before you leave.
You can visit your local pharmacy to see if you have a refill available, or if you’re looking for an easier solution for refilling your birth control pills, you can use a telemedicine company such as Nurx. Using a telemedicine company is often much more cost-effective than refilling your prescription through a physical pharmacy, and it’s also convenient because your medicine will be delivered right to your doorstep. Refilling your birth control prescription before your trip will give you peace of mind so that you can more fully enjoy your travels.