Why Nurx is the default for Black-women birth control
Nurx accepts Medicaid in more states than any other online birth-control service we evaluated. For Black women on Medicaid (approximately 30% of Black women of reproductive age have Medicaid as their primary insurance), this is the structural advantage. Most competitor services are self-pay only or accept only commercial insurance.
The ACA preventive-services benefit means most patients pay $0 out of pocket for FDA-approved birth control. Nurx handles insurance verification at intake; if your plan covers it, you see $0 at checkout.
PrEP for Black women
Black women account for the largest share of new HIV diagnoses among women in the US (CDC), and PrEP uptake among Black women remains under 2% of eligible patients. The access gap is largely about provider awareness and stigma rather than medical eligibility. Nurx's PrEP intake is built to be low-friction: a 10-minute questionnaire, a phone or video consult, and quarterly lab work via an at-home kit or local lab. Most insurance plans cover PrEP at zero cost-sharing.
What it does not replace
Nurx is medication prescribing, not gynecological care. You still need in-person care for Pap smears, IUDs, colposcopies, and pelvic exams. For comprehensive women's health that combines telehealth with in-person referrals, Maven Clinic is the broader option, though Maven is mostly accessible through employer benefits.