DALLAS COUNTY, Texas — A Dallas healthcare group is offering free birth control options for people in Dallas County that can't afford it on their own.
HHM Health clinics will offer different birth control options to patients (Nexplanon, oral pills, or IUD). Once they decide, they'll try to make the option available that same day.
HHM Health told WFAA that the only three eligibility requirements for patients are:
- Be a Dallas County resident
- Be enrolled with HHM Health
- Be uninsured for birth control. That goes for completely uninsured patients or those who have have insurance that doesn't pay for birth control.
Once a person is enrolled with HHM Health, they can schedule a free birth control counseling appointment and decide which option they want.
There will then be a follow-up appointment after the birth control is administered to make sure the patient's not dealing with any serious side effects. According to a representative, the most common effect is an irregular period.
Patients can switch birth control options, if they'd like to do so.
If someone chooses Nexplanon, the provider will be able to insert it the same day. The representative said the process for that consists of numbing the patient's skin, putting in the needle and using surgical tape to close the skin up.
Getting it removed would also be free, if needed.
HHM Health said its providers were certified to administer the implants after they were trained by Nexplanon. For now, there are 15 providers that are certified for it.
