What to Expect & Special Visit Instructions

Preparing for your telehealth visit is easy! Please read our full instructions (English and Spanish) and read these troubleshooting tips if you run into any issues. Also please note:

• Telehealth services through PPNNE are only available to patients currently located in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. You will be asked to confirm you are physically located in the state your appointment is scheduled in. If you are in a different state, please schedule at a different health center.
• All patients need to sign-up for Planned Parenthood’s patient portal, MyChart to complete a telehealth appointment. A link will be sent to the email address you provided prior to your appointment with instructions on how to sign up for MyChart. This link will arrive shortly after you schedule your appointment with the subject line “Signup information for MyChart.” The link is good for 14 days and then will expire.
  • Check your email for a sign-up link to MyChart patient portal.
  • If using a mobile device, download MyChart app. Apple | Google
  • Complete eCheck-In prior to your visit up to 7 days before your appointment
  • Log-in to MyChart to start your video about 10 minutes early to make sure you can connect.

We know that things come up. Please notify us in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. “No-show” appointments not only impact fellow patients trying to be seen, but they also hurt PPNNE’s ability to provide affordable care in the future. Thank you for understanding!

• General Information
  • Masks are now optional at all of our health centers. We offer free masks to anyone who may wish to wear one.

  • We know that things come up. Please notify us in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. “No-show” appointments not only impact fellow patients trying to be seen, but they also hurt PPNNE’s ability to provide affordable care in the future. Thank you for understanding.

Click the service you are coming in for to read specific instructions:

Abortion Care
Birth Control 
Depo (The Shot) Repeat
Emergency Contraception
IUD Insert
IUD Removal
Implant (Nexplanon)
Pregnancy Testing
STD Testing
Urinary Tract Infection
Vaginal Infection
Well Person Check-Up

Abortion Care

For patients being seen at a NH health center, you must present a photo ID per NH law.

For all patients:

We will screen you for health conditions and for eligibility for abortion care. There are rare instances when a patient’s visit may need to be rescheduled or delayed because of complex medical conditions.

The Abortion Pill is a safe way to end an early pregnancy, up to 11 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period. You take one medicine in the office, then you take a second medicine 1-2 days later at home. Plan to be at our office for 1-2 hours. Take a look at these Abortion Pill instructions or watch the video below (please note: we now offer the abortion pill up to 11 weeks of pregnancy):

Procedural Abortion is a safe way to end a pregnancy. You will have a procedure at our health center to empty your uterus, time after to recover, and then you will go home. Plan to be at our office for 2-5 hours. To be prepared for the abortion, please take 800mg of Ibuprofen one hour before your appointment. For more information about comfort measures (options for sedation or pain medicine), and to find out whether or not to eat before your appointment, call 1-866-476-1321. Take a look at these Procedural Abortion instructions for more information and watch the video:

Birth Control Pills or Ring:

Need a refill and have an active prescription with us?
1. Call 866-476-1321 and choose option 2 for “prescriptions/lab results/post procedures.”
2. Enter your date of birth.
3. Hit option 1 for prescription questions.
4. Hit option 1 again for pill pick up.

Follow the prompts to complete your request. Orders will be ready after 1PM on the next business day. All birth control supplies must be picked up at the Planned Parenthood health center where your prescription was written.

New patient or don't have an active prescription?
We'll need to set up an appointment with you if you're a new patient or if your prescription is more than one year old. To make an appointment online, visit your local health center page. Or call 866-476-1321.

Depo (The Shot) Repeat:

You are at increased risk of pregnancy if you do not get your Depo shot on time.

If you are outside your date range, you may or may not receive the shot that day depending on your pregnancy risk.

Emergency Contraception (aka "the morning after pill)

E-Contra EZ: If you are paying out of pocket, you can visit any health center during our open hours and get E-Contra EZ. The cost is $30.

Ella: If you'd like Ella, you'll need to make an appointment to obtain a prescription.

Copper IUD: Make sure to book an appointment within 5 days of unprotected sex. 1 hour prior to your visit, take 800mg of Ibuprofen.

IUD insert:

It's possible an IUD insert may not happen on the day of your appointment, for many reasons that vary from person to person. The clinician who sees you will make that determination and will work with you to find solutions.

To be prepared for the insertion, please take 800mg of Ibuprofen one hour prior to your appointment with a light meal.

IUD removal:

If you are changing your birth control method, or replacing your IUD, you should abstain from sex for five days prior to your removal date in order to maintain protection from pregnancy.

Implant (Nexplanon):

It's possible an implant insert may not happen on the day of your appointment, for many reasons that vary from person to person. The clinician who sees you will make that determination and will work with you to find solutions.

You will be able to have your insertion at any time during your menstrual cycle, regardless of your current (if any) birth control method.

We may recommend pregnancy testing and/or Emergency Contraception at the time of your insertion if you've had unprotected sex during your current menstrual cycle.

Pregnancy Testing

Please try not to urinate one hour prior to your appointment, as you will need to give a sample after checking in.

If you are experiencing any pain or bleeding, please contact our scheduling team directly at 866-476-1321.

STD Testing:

The clinician will discuss testing options with you and evaluate your risk factors for STDs based on history and exposure and recommend testing for you.

Visits routinely include screening for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and HIV.

Some STDs can take up to 3 months from exposure to show up on a test, but others can be detected in as little as 2 weeks. Give us a call at 866-476-1321 for more information.

You may need to provide a urine sample. For the best results, we ask you not to urinate or ejaculate for one hour prior to your appointment.

Urinary Tract Infection:

Do not urinate or ejaculate for one hour prior to your appointment, as you may need to provide samples at your appointment.

Vaginal Infection

If you are experiencing symptoms of a vaginal infection, you should not use any over-the-counter creams 24 hours prior to your appointment. We also may not be able to see you if you are on your period.

Do not urinate or ejaculate for one hour prior to your appointment, as you may need to provide samples at your appointment.

Well Person Check Up:

PPNNE recommends a well person check up, also known as an annual exam, every year. Based on your age and health history, the clinician may or may not recommend an HPV test or a breast exam on the day of your appointment.

Starting at age 25, people with a cervix should have an HPV test every 5 years, and people with breasts should have a breast exam every 1 to 3 years. Previously, it was recommended that starting at age 21, people with a cervix get screened through a Pap test. If you have had an abnormal Pap or HPV test or an abnormal breast exam in the past, you might need an exam more frequently.  At your visit, we can talk about what exams or testing make sense for you.

Insurance may not cover the cost if it has not been 1 year since the last checkup.

For most visits, patients can expect to be in the health center for 50-60 minutes.

When you arrive, you will check-in with our front desk staff and fill out some paperwork. These forms cover basic information about yourself and your health history. The forms also help us see if you qualify for any program to make your visit discounted or free. Our front desk staff are happy to answer any questions you might have about the forms.

Next, we will take you into either an exam or counseling room, depending on the service you are being seen for. Our staff will take your vital signs (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.) and ask you some basic questions. These questions will help determine why you are in for a visit and how we can best help you.

We may need to request a urine sample from you, or do a physical exam if you are experiencing symptoms. In other cases, we may need to chat with you, clothes on. There will be time to chat with our staff about any concerns you have and to ask as many questions as you'd like.

Once your visit is over, you will check-out. This will be the time to pick up any supplies or prescriptions, and the time to schedule you for any future visits. It is also the time we collect payment. We accept insurance, all major credit cards, cash, and have special programs to make your visit more affordable. Visit our payment page for more information. 

If you are under the age of 18, you have rights. While we encourage teens to discuss their health care concerns with a parent, guardian, or a trusted adult, we know that is not always possible. At Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, you may be able to receive confidential family planning services (birth control) and testing and treatment without your parent’s permission.  Those services are private, and we cannot discuss them with anyone else without your permission.

For your safety, regardless of your age, there are certain topics that cannot remain confidential. Examples include reporting positive results of a sexually transmitted infection to public health agencies, sexual or physical abuse, and plans to harm yourself or others. 

If you have any questions about your privacy rights, you can ask any Planned Parenthood staff member. We're here to help.

Please refer to our billing page or special programs & funding page to learn more.

Our staff are what make Planned Parenthood special. They are a group of highly skilled, compassionate health care providers who care deeply about their patients.

Our patients say it best:

"My provider was great. She was friendly and made me feel at home. When getting an exam of very private areas of your body, it makes me very anxious. She talked me through what she was doing and put me at ease. She did not seem like a tired provider that was at end of long shift; I could of been her first patient of day or last. I could tell she truly cares about helping people."

"Efficient, but without making me feel rushed.  Friendly, but professional & knowledgeable staff. Coming to this health center is such a better experience than I've had at other places.  Thanks for all that you do & for fighting so hard to keep doing it - you are all an example not just of the difference one person can make in the world but also of the difference you made in one person’s world."