State by State Guide to Birth Control Pill Access: Texas
Did you know that there are over 250 different kinds of birth control pills, each with slight variances to support different bodies? And each state has different regulations around how you can get a prescription, how old you have to be, and where you can buy your birth control? And that every state in the US supports access to Opill (the only birth control pill available in the US without a prescription) just by walking in and buying it at the store? We took the time to break down the regulations in every state and make this state by state, easy to read guide.
What are your options for accessing oral birth control in Texas?
Opill, in person, without a prescription |
Yes |
|
Opill, online, without a prescription |
Yes |
|
You can get a prescription from your doctor or clinic |
Yes |
|
You can get a prescription from your pharmacist |
No |
|
Do I have to be 18 to get an oral birth control prescription in my state? |
See below |
Your options for oral birth control in Texas include:
Over the Counter Options:
Buy it locally and pick it up near you
Opill
You can buy Opill locally, over the counter, which means that for Opill you do not need a prescription. You can just walk into your local Walmart or Target or drugstore, find it near the condoms, and walk up to the counter to pay for it with cash, a credit card, or a debit card. Sometimes the Opill is locked up with the condoms, etc. and you have to ask someone to unlock the cabinet, but you don’t need a prescription.
Buy it online and have it delivered
Opill
You can buy Opill online on major websites like Walmart, Amazon, and Target, and you do not need a prescription. You order it online the same way you order your aspirin or tampons.
Options that require prescriptions:
In addition to Opill there are about 259 other formulations of oral birth control. (Click here for a full list.) Why? Because sometimes you need to dial in your prescription to avoid side effects, or you want a pill that gives you a little more leeway in what time of day you take it, or you want to tackle other symptoms that are managed with hormonal birth control.
In some states you must go to a doctor or clinic to get a prescription; in other states you can get a prescription for oral birth control directly from your pharmacist.
The states that allow Pharmacists to prescribe birth control include:
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
Can I go to a doctor or clinic to get my oral birth control?
In Texas you can go to a doctor or clinic for birth control pills.
All 50 states allow you to go to a doctor or clinic for birth control pills. There are 12 states which allow some doctors or clinics to opt out of supporting birth control pills. In these 12 states, you may have to find another doctor or clinic to provide your birth control pills.
States where current laws (as of June, 2024) allow doctors or clinics to opt out of prescribing, or that allow pharmacists to opt out of providing, oral birth control include:
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida (doctors can opt out); Georgia (pharmacists can opt out); Idaho; Illinois, Indiana (pharmacists can opt out); Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts (privately owned clinics/hospitals can opt out); Mississippi; South Dakota (pharmacists can opt out); Tennessee.
Do I have to be 18 to get an oral birth control prescription in my state?
Anyone under 18 can buy oral birth control in these states:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.), Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming. Some states have specified minimum ages.
In Texas if under 18, you must be married.