Frequently Asked Questions

To qualify, you need to be a resident of or a student in our 16-county service area in East Tennessee: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Monroe, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union.

In accordance with Tennessee law, you must be over the age of 13 for us to connect you to a trusted clinician.

This is exactly why we are here! Most of our clients do not have insurance. So yes, you'll pay nothing out of pocket.

If you have insurance, your insurance will be billed first and we will pick up the balance of any co-pays, deductibles, birth control not covered. If you have insurance you cannot use, you will be treated as someone who doesn't have insurance. Either way, you will pay nothing out of pocket.

We cover the cost of:

• Annual check-up, including all associated well-care (e.g., STI testing, pregnancy testing, pap smear, etc.)

• Client's choice of preventive contraceptive

• Removal of any existing long-acting contraceptive device (if necessary)

• Transportation to and from appointment(s) related to contraceptive access.

No worries, we provide free transportation to and from appointments. This is set up through our call center when you make an appointment.​

​Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Monroe, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union. If you live in another county, find your local A Step Ahead location here.

Due to funding constraints, we are limited to covering the costs associated with the pills through a telehealth clinical partnership we launched on November 1, 2022. However, because we are committed to advancing access and reproductive health equity, we are working hard to be able to cover all forms of birth control in the near future.

An Intrauterine Device, (IUD) is a small, T-shaped device that keeps prevents pregnancy. IUDs come in Hormonal or Non-Hormonal options.

A doctor or nurse puts the IUD in the uterus, which is inside a woman’s body above the vagina. IUD stands for “Intrauterine Device,” which means it is inside the uterus.​

IUD's can last from 3 to 10 years depending on the IUD you select.  Non-Hormonal ParaGard lasts for 10 years. Mirena and Kyleena last for 5 years.  Liletta lasts up to 4 years and Skyla lasts up to 3 years.  Both can be taken out by a doctor or nurse at any time.​

​Once a doctor or nurse puts in the IUD, you don't have to do anything! You are protected from pregnancy until you choose to have it removed.

It is one of the most effective forms of birth control available.  If 100 women use an IUD, on average less than 1 will become pregnant within a year.​

Non-hormonal IUD's such as Paragard work by interfering with sperm movement, egg fertilization and possibly prevents implantation.

Hormonal IUD's such as Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta and Skyla work by:

• Thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm from entering your uterus

• Inhibiting sperm from reaching or fertilizing your egg

• Thinning the lining of your uterus

IUDs work by preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. This happens because the IUDs make it difficult for sperm to move. In some women, the hormones in the hormonal IUD's may also prevent ovulation (when the egg leaves the ovaries).​

Nope, absolutely not. So definitely use a condom every time you have sex so that you are protected from pregnancy AND sexually transmitted infections.​

We provide Paragard, Mirena, Skyla, Liletta, and Kyleena. Talk to your nurse or doctor about which IUD may be right for you.

Call or text our appointment line at (865) 657-8372 and let us know your questions!

Check our listing of affiliate locations, or email info@astepaheadeasttn.org for information on starting an ASAF affiliate in your area.​

Call or text our appointment line at (865) 657-8372 and let us know your questions! If you're looking for advice from a medical provider, talk to us to make an appointment to discuss your options with a provider.

That is okay! We will cover the cost of removal. It is important that you find the right birth control for you.

Yes - the providers we work with have safe systems in place if you need to maintain confidentiality.

That's okay! You should choose the birth control that works best for you, and getting an appointment with a provider to discuss all your options is a good way to decide. If you change your mind about getting a LARC, we'll still pay for the cost of the appointment and any necessary testing.

We partner with a variety of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), fee for service clinics, and local departments of health which have access to other revenue streams and reduced pharmaceutical costs. This allows us to connect clients with quality care while keeping our costs down so that we can serve more people with limited funding as well as tap into existing programs, like TennCare and Title X.

As of November 1, 2022, A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee executed a clinical partnership agreement with a telehealth company to provide the pill to individuals residing in our service area. This partnership allows our clients to meet with a provider from the comfort of their home and have their prescription shipped to their doorstep.

You can either directly call or text us at our support line (865) 657-8372 to start the process or give that number to your clients or patients for them to call or text us. If you want materials, contact us at the same number or use our Contact form on our website and we'll get back to you.

We can help with that! We cover the cost everything in the life cycle of a LARC, including removal. Just call or text our support line to make an appointment with a provider.