He Dr Sue — Do I Have To Get My Mom’s Permission To Use Birth Control?

This is an important question, but it gets a bit complicated because there are a lot of factors that impact the answer — your age, your location and which type of birth control you want to get.

Let’s start simple with condoms. Condoms are (theoretically) the easiest to get because they’re available over the counter. You can also find them in lots of places, and they have no age restriction for purchasing them.

Now with that said, there are some stores that keep condoms either behind the counter or locked up. This means you’ll need to get a store employee to help you. Depending on your age, that might be a barrier if asking for them. makes you embarrassed or afraid of being.

And then there’s where you live. I’ve heard stories over the years from students who live in small towns where everyone knows everyone’s business. They said they didn’t want to buy condoms at the local store because they were afraid someone would tell their parents they were buying them.

If you’re looking for a hormonal option like the pill, patch, ring, hormonal IUD or implant, then things get a bit more complicated. Same for for a non-hormonal IUD.

In 23 states and Washington DC, a minor does not need parental permission to get birth control. In the…