Contraceptive Methods

Choosing a contraceptive method is your decision, and the visit is there so you make it with information and without pressure. At Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Pasadena we start and follow up birth control pills and the contraceptive injection, in Spanish or English, with no appointment and the same confidentiality as the rest of your care.

Which methods does the clinic offer?

Birth control pills, combined or progestin-only, and the contraceptive injection given every 3 months. At the visit the other methods are explained too, such as the patch, ring, implant and IUD, and if one of them is the right fit, we guide you on where to get it placed. If you already have an implant and want it out, we remove it at the clinic: implant removal.

How is the method chosen?

Through a conversation about your health and routine: whether you smoke, your blood pressure, migraines, whether you are breastfeeding, whether you want a pregnancy in one year or five, and how easy it is for you to take a pill at the same time every day. Combined pills are not recommended with uncontrolled high blood pressure, migraine with aura or smoking after 35; in those cases the progestin-only pill or the injection are options. The physician checks your blood pressure and history before prescribing.

When does it start protecting?

If pills are started within the first five days of your period, they protect from then on; if started on another day, use condoms for the first week. The injection protects from day one if given within the first seven days of your period. Either way, the condom remains the only method that also prevents sexually transmitted infections.

Which side effects are normal, and which are not?

Irregular bleeding in the first months, breast tenderness or mild mood changes usually pass. With the injection it is common for periods to become light or stop, and after stopping it fertility can take several months to return. Severe leg pain, chest pain, trouble breathing or a new, intense headache are not normal: seek care right away.

Do I need a Pap smear to get birth control?

No. The method can be started without a pelvic exam; only blood pressure and history need review. If you are due for a Pap smear, it can be done at the same visit under gynecology, but it is not a requirement.

How much does birth control cost in Pasadena?

The visit and the injection are quoted by phone at (281) 747-8817; pills are filled with a prescription at the pharmacy of your choice. No health insurance is needed. The Complete Women's Checkup for $179 includes a pelvic ultrasound, Pap smear, urine test and visit, if you want to use the visit for a full checkup.

What is the visit like?

Walk in from 9 AM to 9 PM; you can come alone or with someone. After the conversation and a blood pressure check, you leave with your prescription or the injection given, and with the date of the next dose or the 3-month follow-up. If you suspect pregnancy before starting, a pregnancy test is done first.

Medical center near you in Pasadena and Houston, TX

We are a Hispanic clinic in the Houston, TX area: we care for patients across Pasadena and South Houston, South Belt, Genoa, Sagemont, Galena Park, Deer Park, Hobby (Houston) and surrounding communities.