To get some forms of birth control—like “the Pill,” Depo-Provera (“the shot”), NuvaRing and Ortho Evra ("the patch")—a girl needs a prescription from a doctor or clinician.

Oftentimes, health care providers prescribe hormonal birth control without a pelvic exam first, but to get a first prescription, a girl is sometimes required to get a pelvic exam to make sure her body is healthy and that it is OK for her to use a certain type of birth control. Be sure to ask your health care provider before your appointment if you are concerned about the pelvic exam.

Any visit to a doctor or health care provider is a great opportunity to ask questions about birth control—how the method works, how to use it correctly, when to start using it and what the side effects are.

Other methods—like the male and female condoms, the Sponge and spermicides—are available in the drugstore or supermarket, no prescription necessary.

For more information about each form of birth control, you can visit Planned Parenthood's Web site.

Go to the clinic locator at the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association's Web site to find a clinic near you.