US approves first over-the-counter birth control pill

[libertybele]

US approves first over-the-counter birth control pill

The US government has approved the first-ever over-the-counter birth control pill.

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Thursday birth control pill Opill will be available without a prescription for women of all ages.

In a statement, the agency said the move would help reduce women's barriers to accessing contraception.

The manufacturer of Opill has said it will most likely be available over the counter in early 2024.

Doctors say that the progestin-only pill - often known as the "minipill" - is a particularly safe form of contraception because it does not contain oestrogen, meaning it has fewer side effects and health risks.

The most common side effects of Opill include irregular bleeding, headaches, dizziness and nausea.

The US joins more than 100 countries around the world that have made the birth control pill available over the counter, including most countries in Latin America, as well as India, China and the United Kingdom.

"When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy," said Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The approval comes after an FDA expert advisory panel in May unanimously voted to recommend the pill be available over the counter. .....................

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66191585

[jmyrlefuller]

From a purely medical standpoint:

I have always been of the understanding that the vast majority of over-the-counter medications were meant for short-term maladies. Most, in fact, will include in the fine print a note that says if symptoms last for longer than a set period of time (usually no more than a week) that the user should consult a doctor.

So why is the FDA, in a quite rare move, approving a drug designed explicitly for long-term use for over-the-counter sale? We all know that answer.

No nation that is below the replacement rate should be making contraception available without a prescription.

[mountaineer]

I saw an Ob-Gyn interviewed, and she was positively giddy over this. Seems like the drug is potentially dangerous enough that a Dr would want to monitor its usage.