On July 13th, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill, a progestin-only birth control pill, for over-the-counter sale. The United States will now join over 100 countries where birth control pills are available without a prescription. Victoria Nichols, Project Director with Free the Pill, sits down to talk to us about what this approval means for birth control equity and access for those in the US.  

 

Currently in the United States, over the counter birth control is still not available on the shelves (but it will occur soon!). Up until that point becomes a reality, patients have had to navigate a prescription model, meaning that providers must prescribe birth control during an in-person appointment at a healthcare facility. This model has always featured barriers to access, requiring a patient to take time off work, find transportation, pay co-pays or out-of-pocket costs, and more.

 

Efforts to move away from the prescription model and make the birth control pill available over-the-counter have been decades in the making, featuring youth activists, medical providers, and reproductive justice advocates working in coalition. The FDA approval is a reflection and culmination of this dedicated, long-term work. 

 

Now that the FDA has decided that the birth control pill can be accessed over-the-counter, this softens many barriers to access. People seeking the birth control pill will not have to make an appointment with a doctor, wait months for that appointment, seek time off school and work, or worry about the costs of a doctor’s visit. It is expected the birth control pill will be available on-the-shelf in early 2024. 

 

Links

Free the Pill on Twitter

Free the Pill on Facebook

Advocates for Youth’s Free the Pill Youth Council

 

Take Action Items

First and foremost, follow Free the Pill on Twitter and Facebook and stay up-to-date on their amazing work. You can also sign up for email updates from Free the Pill here.

 

Advocates for Youth features a Free the Pill Youth Council, which works in communities across the country to expand access to an affordable birth control pill.

 

Talk to people in your life about birth control, health equity, and the importance of eliminating barriers to access!

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