During the yearly wellness examination, we will perform a full history and general examination and make screening and immunization recommendations This includes a breast/chest examination and may include a pelvic examination. We recommend the initiation of routine pap tests at the age of 21. A pap test is a screening test for cervical cancer and is part of many, but not all, pelvic examinations. Typically, pap tests are performed every 3 years in your 20s and every 5 years from 30-65. If you have an abnormal pap, you may need more frequent pap testing, and your provider will discuss your individual screening plan with you. During your yearly examination we will discuss your sexual and reproductive health needs which can include screening for sexually transmitted infections, options for birth control and preconception counseling. We will also discuss self-breast/chest examinations, nutrition, exercise habits, alcohol and/or drug usage now or in the past, depression or anxiety issues, and any other problem you may be having. Sometimes, if you have many issues to discuss, we will also make a follow up appointment.

There will be fee-for-service charges for annual wellness physical exams, including pap testing (pap smear and lab testing are also done on a fee-for-service basis). Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans are required to cover physical exams and appropriate screening testing; please check with your insurance carrier if you have questions about your levels of coverage. Annual physical exams at EUSHS are covered 100% under the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP). We may order lab/blood tests or do other testing if appropriate. For more information about lab testing expenses at EUSHS, click here. When you call or use the Student Patient Portal to make an appointment for a Yearly Exam with or without a Pap test. Remember that if you do not keep your appointment, there is a $15 no show fee for a problem focused visit or a $30 no show fee for a missed annual exam. If desired, you may request a specific practitioner for your visit.

We provide office visits and examinations for any breast/chest health or gynecological concern. Examples would be vaginal discharge or feeling a breast lump. For these types of concerns, you may make an appointment with your provider for a regular office visit, or a follow-up visit (not called a Pap test visit).

Colposcopy is offered weekly during the school year. During a colposcopy (generally done when a person has an abnormal Pap test) the provider will examine you as if they are doing a Pap test, but additionally will look with a microscope (called a colposcope) into the vagina, and at the cervix. The provider may also take one or two small biopsy samples of the areas where the Pap test was abnormal. Colposcopy appointments are made only on referral from one of our EUSHS providers.

The type of health insurance coverage you have is an important consideration when scheduling a colposcopy appointment.  Students on the Emory/Aetna Student Health Insurance are covered completely for this procedure when it is done here at EUSHS.  Other insurance plans may cover partially or not at all.  Please check with your health insurance plan to verify your coverage. For general information about insurance coverage at EUSHS, click here. Remember to show up 15 minutes prior to your visit. If you do not keep your colposcopy appointment, there is a $60 no-show fee.

We offer full confidential STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) evaluation and screening at EUSHS. At these appointments, we will discuss which tests are needed, costs for the testing, and follow-up for your results. If you are worried about contracting an STI, worried about any symptoms you or your partner may have, or you simply want to have screening or a conversation with one of our providers, we are available. All you need to do is simply make an appointment to see a provider. We also suggest STI screening at your yearly physical exam, so if you are due for your yearly exam, we will do all of this at one visit.

Depression and anxiety are common on the college campus. We are here to talk to you about these issues. People who menstruate can also experience PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome), PMDD (Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder). Please feel free to make an appointment to see a provider to further discuss. Also, consider calling the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 404-727-7450 to schedule an appointment for free and confidential counseling.

At Student Health Services, we will discuss your symptoms, including any physical symptoms you are having like trouble sleeping or change in appetite, and we can discuss the possibility of medications. Many providers at EUSHS are skilled and available to prescribe medications for this purpose.

Any issues regarding disordered eating, including diagnosed or undiagnosed Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, or any variation of these, are issues we are comfortable seeing here at EUSHS. Our providers confidentially collaborate regarding the care of students with eating disorders. We offer a comprehensive array of outpatient services including medical, psychological, and nutritional care. We also keep updated on the latest information about the treatment of eating disorders. If you have symptoms that suggest an eating disorder, please make an appointment to see a primary care provider, and we will begin discussing what you have been experiencing.

Emory University Student Health Services offers contraceptive counseling to all students. If you are on the Emory Student Health Insurance Program (EUSHIP), then you are eligible to receive several types of birth control pills, or NuvaRing® with no co-payment. If you do not have EUSHIP insurance, then you may still come in to see our providers, but you would need to go to an outside pharmacy to get your contraception medicine.

Students with EUSHIP insurance are also eligible to get several of the long-acting contraceptives at the Student Health Services.  However, if you have any other insurance type, then you will need to see an outside provider that takes your insurance to get an IUD or implant.

Students with EUSHIP insurance: FAQs for dispensing contraceptives:

What are the requirements?

You must be an eligible EUSHS patient. An annual examination is required each year, which may or may not include a GYN exam and a PAP test.

How many pill packs may I purchase at one time?

You may receive up to six packs at one time, depending on availability. An annual prescription is for 13 packs. When you are first started on birth control pills, we often dispense to you only 3 packs and then ask you to return for a recheck before dispensing additional packs.

How many rings may I purchase at one time?

You may purchase up to three NuvaRings® at one time. This has to do with storage requirements.

What if I have a prescription from a non-EUSHS Health Care Provider?

Contact your non-EUSHS Health Care Provider and request a copy of your current annual exam records. If you have had previous pap screening, this should be included in your records.  You may have them sent to us or you may bring them with you to your EUSHS GYN visit Make an appointment with your EUSHS GYN Health Care Provider for a contraception visit. Your records will be reviewed, and a prescription entered into  your EUSHS medical chart records. Your prescription will then be valid until your next annual examination is due.

How do I get the refills on my prescription at the EUSHS if I choose not to purchase all my pill packs at once?

We manage birth control refill requests ONLINE ONLY via Your Patient Portal:

• Click here to access Your Patient Portal.
• Select the "Messages" button, then select "New Message" and choose "Prescription Refill".
• Follow the steps requested. Select the option "EUSHS Prescription Contraception Program" as your pharmacy choice if you prefer to pick-up your pills at the Student Health Services. Pills/Ring requests are filled within 2 business days
• After your request has been processed, your pills will be held for two weeks at the checkout desk area of the EUSHS, on the second floor of the 1525 Clifton Road building.
• You must pick up the pills yourself and you must show your Emory ID card at the time of pick up.
• To pick up the NuvaRing®, come to the front desk; a nurse will bring the rings out of our storage refrigerator (inside the clinic) and explain the storage requirements.
• Please note that you must pick up your prescription within 2 weeks of the date of your request. Otherwise, your prescription will be returned to stock, and you will be charged a restocking fee for the nursing time needed to fill and then restock the prescription.

How much are the pills?

If you have the Emory University Student Health Insurance Plan (EUSHIP), there is no co-pay per pill pack or NuvaRing®.

What if I cannot pick up my pills? 

Please call the MEDICAL INFORMATION LINE @ (404) 727-7551, SELECT OPTION 3 and leave a message advising our nurses to return your pills to stock since you are not able to come pick them up. This will allow for the number of packs available on your prescription to be corrected. Otherwise, you may find that your prescription has been marked as no refills remaining even though you have not actually purchased all that were available to you.

What if my Health Care Provider told me that I needed a Blood Pressure Check in order to continue my birth control? What if I am having PROBLEMS with my birth control?

You may require a review or approval by your Health Care Provider concerning your birth control, therefore call the appointment scheduling phone line at (404) 727-7551, option 1, or use the Your Patient Portal appointment request option, and schedule an appointment for a birth control follow-up visit. If your Health Care Provider told you that you only require a blood pressure check after completing two cycles, in this situation it would be okay to schedule a nurse visit appointment.

Will I always be able to get the pills I want? 

Occasionally, due to heavy demand, we may run out of some brands for a short time. For this reason, we encourage you to plan ahead - especially at the end of each semester. Since the availability of these discounted packs are at the discretion of the vendor, the type of brand may sometimes change over time as well.

What about other types of contraception offered at Student Health?

Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC):

If you have the Emory/Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan, you are eligible to receive long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) through either the Student Health Services or through an in-network OB/GYN. The types of LARC that are available include:

• Copper Intrauterine Device (PARAGARD®)- effective for 12 years
• Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device (KYLEENA®, LILETTA®, SKYLA® or MIRENA®)- effective for 3 - 7 years
• Implant (NEXPLANON®)- effective for 3 years (starting in October of 2022)

Again, if you have the Emory/Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan, the Intrauterine Devices (IUD) can be placed at the Emory Student Health Services. It requires three separate visits: the first to counsel you about the different types and to review the insertion process; the second to insert the IUD; and the third to check the IUD one month after insertion. The first and third appointments can be through telehealth.

Student Health Services has started placing NEXPLANON® at the Student Health clinic for those on the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan. For those on other insurances, services are offered through the Emory Healthcare GYN Department. If you have the Emory/Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan, you do not need a referral to be seen by them, and you can make your own appointment.

More information regarding these methods can be found under the IUD section of this website.

An IUD is a type of long-acting reversible birth control. It is a small T-shaped device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. There are five different kinds of IUDs available in the United States, and Emory University Student Health Services (EUSHS) offers all of them:

• The copper IUD (ParaGard®) is non-hormonal and is FDA approved for 10 years but effective for up to 12 years.
• Four hormonal IUDs (Liletta®, Skyla®, Mirena® and Kyleena®). All four of these IUDs release levonorgestrel and are effective for 3 to 7 years depending on the type chosen.

 For detailed information regarding each of these IUDs, please see the following links:

• ParaGard Copper IUD:http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/paragard/basics/definition/prc-20013048
• Levonorgestrel IUDs: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/iud/hormonal-iuds

How do I get an IUD through Student Health Services?

Although, through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a student may get an IUD no matter what your insurance, EUSHS is currently only placing IUDs at our clinic for those students who have the Aetna Student Health Insurance. All other students should go through Emory OB/GYN or their own preferred provider that is covered by their insurance.

If you are interested in having an IUD placed at EUSHS, you can schedule this by calling the front desk or through the patient portal. We have several providers who are trained in placing IUDs and offer these visits weekly.. You should expect three separate visits, the first and third of which can be conducted over telehealth.

1. A pre-placement visit
2. A procedure visit for the placement of your preferred IUD
3. A post-placement visit.

What will occur at the three visits?

During the pre-placement visit, the provider will answer any questions you may have about the various IUDs as well as the pros and cons and side effect profile of each. They will also review the insertion criteria and describe how the procedure is done. If you have not had a recent gonorrhea and chlamydia test, and would like one, those tests can be performed at this visit (does not require a pelvic exam) or at the time of your IUD placement.

The placement visit consists of completing paperwork, a urine pregnancy test and then placing the IUD in the uterus (see below for the section “What should I do to prepare for the procedure?”).

The post-placement visit is made 4-6 weeks after the IUD has been placed. It is a short visit to review any possible side effects and check the visibility of the IUD strings in the vagina.

What should I do to prepare for the procedure?

• Although IUD placement can be done at any time, the best time to place it is during the second half of your period.
• If you are using a hormonal contraception (pill, patch or ring), continue to use it until directed by your provider.
• Do NOT have unprotected intercourse for at least 2 weeks before you get the IUD.
• The day of your appointment, take 800 mg of ibuprofen (four 200 mg pills) with food at least 30 minutes before your visit.
• Come in with a full bladder as we will always do a urine pregnancy test prior to the procedure.

What should I expect after the procedure?

• Most students will be able to walk or drive themselves home, though you may bring someone to drive you if you prefer.
• There are no restrictions regarding exercise post-procedure. We do ask that you refrain from any sexual activity for 24 hours afterward. If you are getting a hormonal IUD, you MUST continue to use another method of birth control (pills, condoms, abstinence) for a full 7 days post procedure.
• You may experience mild cramping and spotting for which you can take over the counter ibuprofen. We do use iodine (if you are not allergic) to clean the cervix, so please make sure that you wear underwear that you don't mind getting stained accidently (we will give you a panty liner at the clinic).
• Remember that none of the IUDs protect against any sexually transmitted infections (STI). Only condoms can protect against STIs.

Emory University Student Health Services (EUSHS) utilizes chaperones to ensure respect for the patient’s dignity and safety. We make every effort to create a comfortable and considerate environment for the patient during all portions of the clinical interaction. Chaperones are utilized to provide comfort and support for the patient, as well as protection for the patient and healthcare provider during the clinical interaction.

A chaperone is a trained clinical staff member who is present during any part of the clinical interview, physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by an EUSHS provider. Students may request a chaperone at any time during their visit whether it is a sensitive exam (involving breast, genital, or rectal) or not. If a student does not wish to have a chaperone, they may discuss this with their provider or nurse at the time of the visit.