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A Step Ahead serves residents and students of the following tri-state, eighteen county service area:
Tennessee Counties: Bledsoe, Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, Meigs, McMinn, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie
Georgia Counties: Catoosa, Dade, Murray, Walker, and Whitfield
Alabama Counties: DeKalb and Jackson
If you’re enrolled in any school (including college) in our service area, you’re also eligible, even if your home zip code is elsewhere.
No, we will pay the full cost for any of our clients who want to receive a free IUD, Implant, or oral contraception. If you have insurance, our medical partners will bill your private insurance first. We will pay any co-pay and/or deductibles. There will be no out-of-pocket cost to you.
Call 423-265-7837 (STEP) to schedule an appointment.
One appointment line is operated by our trained and friendly volunteers. They will connect you to a local medical provider and answer any questions you may have. Any costs will be paid by us or your insurance. You pay nothing out of pocket.
Appointment Line Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday
9:00 am-5:00 pm EST
After-Hours Calls
If you call us after 5:00 pm on a weekday or on the weekend, you may leave us a voicemail after hours, and one of our volunteers or staff members will return your call the following business day.
Holiday Hours
Our office will be closed for the following holidays:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving (Thursday & Friday)
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
We pay for IUDs and implants.
We also cover oral contraception through our telehealth provider, Twentyeight Health.
At this time we do not cover any other methods of preventative birth control.
An IUD is a small T-shaped device that is placed in the uterus by a healthcare provider. Once it is in, you cannot feel it. There are two types of IUDs: the non-hormonal–copper IUD and the hormonal–levonorgestrel IUD. You can learn more about IUDs here.
An implant is a small, flexible rod placed in the arm by a healthcare provider. The implant uses hormones to prevent pregnancy. You can learn more about the implant here.
No, IUDs and implants do not protect you from STIs. Only condoms can prevent STIs. If you’d like us to send you FREE condoms by mail, please fill out this request form here.
We will pay for your IUD or implant removal if you live or go to school in our service area, regardless of whether you receive a new device.
Yes, we offer free transportation to and from appointments if an adult or minor with adult supervision needs it. We use Uber (where available) to transport clients to appointments. If Uber is not available in your area, we offer alternate options (gas cards, SETHRA).
A Step Ahead does not cover emergency contraception and we do not make referrals for emergency contraception.
If you are interested in making a donation to A Step Ahead Chattanooga please click our donate page. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities please contact Meghan Greene at meghan@astepaheadchattanooga.org.
A Step Ahead Chattanooga is not affiliated with other nonprofits that provide these services. Our affiliates are other A Step Ahead organizations throughout the state of Tennessee; these affiliates are located in Jackson, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville and serve the communities surrounding these metro areas. A Step Ahead Chattanooga is funded by independent foundations, individual donors, and grants.
A Step Ahead Chattanooga’s goal is to prevent mistimed pregnancies so individuals can achieve their goals and have children when the time is right for them. We also strive to educate individuals about their bodies and how they function, how birth control methods can be utilized outside of pregnancy prevention, and provide free access to birth control methods to individuals. If an individual who is pregnant comes to us for services, we refer them to their personal OB/GYN and make a plan for birth control after their delivery.
© A Step Ahead Chattanooga 2022 and website designed by Brightside Creates.
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