FAQs

You do not need health insurance to be seen. All our services are free and confidential.

Every state makes provision for health care providers to accept the consent of a minor alone for certain types of treatment, most commonly treatments related to sexual health or mental health. See G.S. 90-21.5 for details for how this law authorizes physicians to accept the consent of a minor for medical health services for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of venereal diseases or other reportable communicable diseases, pregnancy, abuse of controlled substances or alcohol, or emotional disturbance. However, this statute does not authorize a minor to consent to abortion, reproductive sterilization, or admission to a 24-hour mental health or substance abuse treatment facility.

No. If you’re under the age of 18, you will need permission from a parent or guardian to get an abortion.

If getting the permission of a parent or legal guardian is not an option for you, you can seek a judicial waiver (also known as a “judicial bypass”) in many states.

Yes.

• Legal through 20 weeks in cases of rape or incest.
• Legal through 24 weeks if physicians detect a life-limiting anomaly.
• Thereafter, abortion is legal only in cases of a medical emergency.

That's ok! While Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center does not provide abortions or referrals for abortion, we do offer you a free confirmation ultrasound. After your free pregnancy test and free consultation with a nurse, she will then decide if you are eligible for the ultrasound based on your last menstrual cycle. We will be able to determine three things for you during your ultrasound; the gestational age, if the pregnancy is viable and inside the uterus and not ectopic, and measurement of the fetal heart rate. Your nurse will answer any questions you have concerning abortion, adoption, parenting, and more. It is important to understand all of your options and that is exactly what we can do for you.

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In North Carolina, only a licensed M.D., a doctor or physician, may perform an abortion in a hospital or clinic that has a license to perform abortions. This is to ensure that the abortion is as safe as possible for the pregnant woman and to ensure that medical facilities are immediately available if the abortion puts the pregnant woman in danger.

You cannot lose a university-sponsored scholarship or fellowship as a result of your pregnancy—such a policy would be treating you differently as a result of your sex and parental status.

This includes students with athletic scholarships If you have scholarships or funding that isn’t sponsored by the university, different rules may apply.

Information for Pregnant Students Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students

For more information, please visit the pregnantscholar.org

Pregnancy can happen several days after having unprotected sex. Morning-after pills are "emergency contraception" options that are to be used within 5 days after having unprotected sex. It mainly works by stopping sperm from meeting with an egg. There are two options for emergency contraception. A copper IUD and the morning-after pill. Getting a copper IUD inserted within 5 days of having unprotected sex is the most effective type of emergency contraception. It works as well on day 5 as it does on day 1. As a bonus it keeps giving you super effective pregnancy protection for up to 12 years or until you have it removed. It can be challenging to get an appointment with your doctor for an IUD on such short notice.

The morning-after pill will not end an existing pregnancy. There are two kinds of morning-after pills. Ella is the most effective morning-after pill and requires a prescription from your doctor. Plan B and other generic options like it are the next best option for emergency contraception. They are available without prescription at most drug stores and pharmacies. The cost range can be $11 - $50. You can be any age or any gender and walk in and buy it without ID. You can take Plan B up to 5 days after unprotected sex however, it works most effectively up to day 3.

Morning-after pills are not good for your regular birth control plan. They are for "emergencies" and do not come without some uncomfortable side effects.
After an intake of 1.5 mg levonorgestrel in clinical trials, very common side effects (reported by 10% or more) included: hives, dizziness, hair loss, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, uterine pain, delayed menstruation, heavy menstruation, uterine bleeding, and fatigue. If you vomit within 2 hours of taking your pill, you will need to take another one.

It is very normal for your next period to be different than what you are used to. This is because the morning-after pill is like taking a high and concentrated dose of regular birth control. Multiple uses of emergency contraception can cause long term disruptions in your menstrual cycle causing you not to know if you are pregnant or not. Remember, it only works for up to 5 days, however the side effects can last much longer. This is why it is not a healthy choice to use for normal birth control. If pregnancy occurs, there is no evidence of its use causing harm to the fetus.

The following medicines or supplements can make Plan B and other levonorgestrel morning-after pills not work as well:

• The antibiotic Rifampin
• The antifungal Griseofulvin
• Certain HIV medicines
• Certain anti-seizure medicines (these are sometimes also used to treat psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder)
• The herb St. John’s Wort
• Barbiturates: these drugs are depressant drugs used to help sleep, relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and prevent seizures. Prescribed names: Fiorina, Pentothal, Seconal, or Nembutal
• Street Names: Barbs, Block Busters, Christmas Trees, Goof Balls, Pinks, Red Devils, Reds & Blues, Yellow Jackets
• Some research suggests that the morning-after pill is less effective in people who weigh more than 155 pounds or have a BMI above 25.
• More than one in four women in the U.S. have a BMI between 25 and 29.9, while two in five have a BMI above 30, according to the 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.

An unlawful abortion is a Class H felony in North Carolina and is punishable by up to ten years in prison. If the judge determines that the unlawful abortion is a Class I felony, the punishment is five years in prison at most. Failing to obtain parental consent is a Class 1 misdemeanor.