Buying birth control pills online may be safe and efficient, says study

Services based on the web or on smartphone apps are mostly safe and efficient for purchasing oral contraceptives, a small US study concludes.

“If a woman is looking for easier access to birth control, this seems like a very reasonable option, in particular, for those struggling to find a provider or having difficulty getting into a doctor’s office,” said senior author Ateev Mehrotra of Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Experts have been concerned about the quality of services provided by online vendors. These companies allow patients to get their pills by mail or receive a prescription by completing online questionnaires, helping them