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Pregnancy Testing for Students at MIT Medical
How do I get a pregnancy test at MIT Medical?
Pregnancy testing is free for all students at MIT Medical. To request
a pregnancy test, you can call your primary care provider's office
(617-253-4481) and ask to speak with the nurse. If you do not have a primary
care provider, you can call the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at 617-253-1315
and ask to speak with the nurse coordinator. The nurse will talk with you
about why you think you might be pregnant and ask you for the dates of your
last two menstrual cycles. You may not need to make an office appointment
for pregnancy testing. The nurse will make an arrangement and provide you
with instructions for testing.
What will happen when I go to MIT Medical to get the test?
A clinician will ask you for a urine sample and will talk to you about why you think you might be pregnant. Be prepared to provide the dates of your last two menstrual periods. This is a good opportunity to discuss important issues related to pregnancy prevention, such as how well your current method of birth control is working for you or whether you have been forced to have sex against your will. MIT Medical clinicians can help you with these and other concerns. You will not be given pelvic exam at this time.
How soon after a missed period will a pregnancy test show accurate results? Do I have to wait until I miss a period to get a test?
Most of the time, a urine test will accurately detect a pregnancy 2 to 3 days before a missed menstrual period. Most women will wait until a day or two after the time when they were supposed to get their period to come in for a test. Remember - many things, including stress, can disrupt the menstrual cycle and cause you to be late or even skip a period altogether.
What is the difference between a pregnancy test at MIT and one that I do myself at home?
Over-the-counter home pregnancy tests can be purchased at most drugstores, and at the MIT Medical pharmacy, for around $8 - 15. They are similar to the tests that are done at MIT Medical. Two advantages to having a test done at MIT Medical are that the test is free and that a clinician is more likely to perform the test accurately than you are at home. Some students will come to MIT Medical to confirm the result of a home pregnancy test that they have already done.
How long does it take to get pregnancy test results at MIT?
For urine pregnancy tests, results are available by the end of the day if the sample is received by noon. Results are available the next morning for samples received in the afternoon.
Will my parents find out that I had a pregnancy test? Will the test show up on my insurance statement?
A visit for a pregnancy test is covered under the Student Medical Plan, which all registered students receive. Therefore, your parents' insurance is not involved, and no information about the visit or the test is sent to them. In addition, your medical records at MIT are protected by strong confidentiality laws, and your parents can not get a copy of them without your written permission.
If you get prescription medication during your visit, a "pharmacy charge" statement may be generated on your bursar bill (if you charge the cost of your drug or your co-payment) or on your parents' insurance statement (if you do not have the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan). The amount of information about the specific medication purchased depends on your parents' insurance plan. If you wish to avoid any mention of a pharmacy charge, you may pay the full cost of the medication yourself in cash - the pharmacy can give you information about the current prices of specific drugs.
For more information about pregnancy testing , as well as your options after having a pregnancy test, please check out the following link:
Planned Parenthood, "What If I'm Pregnant?
Did you know? Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.
Emergency contraception (EC) is available at MIT Medical 24 hours a day. You can get it by calling the Obstetrics & Gynecology
Service at 617-253-1315 or Internal Medicine at 617-253-4481
during weekday business hours, or by coming to Urgent Care on
evenings and weekends. MIT pharmacists can also dispense without
a prescription during regular pharmacy hours after talking with
the patient.
EC consists of two pills that contain hormones similar to birth control pills. It is currently available by prescription only. The two pills are taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex (no later than 120 hours). The pills prevent pregnancy and do not cause abortion or affect an existing pregnancy. If something happens that makes you worry you might get pregnant - get EC right away.
For more information about EC, go to http://ec.princeton.edu/.
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