Access to Birth Control, Contraception and Preparation Prior to the 2022 Opill Decision: The Times’ View of the Supreme Court of 2022

” the progestin-only pill has been proven to be very safe, and virtually no one can have a health concern using it,” said Dr. Sarah Prager, a professor of OB/Gyn at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Since the Supreme Court overturned the national right to an abortion in 2022, the accessibility of contraception has become an increasingly urgent issue. But long before that, the move to make a nonprescription pill available for all ages had received widespread support from specialists in reproductive and adolescent health and groups.

According to the Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, the over-the-counter access to birth control will greatly reduce the barriers.

The approval of Opill faced very little public opposition from conservative groups that are often critical of measures that increase access to abortion, emergency contraception and sex education. Some of the opposition was from Students for Life Action.

In a survey in 2022 by the health care research organization KFF, more than three-quarters of women of reproductive age said they favored an over-the-counter pill, primarily because of convenience.

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Opill: The First Over-The-Circle Birth Control Pill Contraceptive-Shopping Pill Heads to Stores

“We have been working on it for nine years and got approval from the FDA in July of 2023 to move forward.” “It has been pretty much full-steam ahead since that day,” said Triona, who works at Perrigo, the manufacturer of Opill.

This is not a new kind of birth control pill. The drug substance was originally approved for prescription use in 1973, according to the Food and Drug Administration. This is the first pill that was approved for use without a prescription.

Yes. Like many other oral contraceptives, it’s 98% effective at preventing pregnancy if taken correctly. The first dose should start to work after 48 hours. headaches, nausea and vomiting are potential side effects.

“Today we start shipping Opill to our retailers for their brick-and-mortar stores,” says Schmelter. It will be available in the coming weeks in-store in the family planning aisle, she says, as well as on online marketplaces and Opill.com.

A month’s supply of Opill has a recommended retail price of $19.99. It will be a little cheaper to buy it in bulk with a three-month supply. The six-month supply will sell for $89.99 at Opill.com.

Source: First over-the-counter birth control pill heads to stores

Birth Control Pills are Free in the United States for People with Healthcare Insurance Including Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Part II: The Case of the Self-Assured Population

Birth control pills are free in the United States for people with healthcare insurance except for those who want their birth control pills to show up on their insurance.

“It doesn’t require a doctor’s visit, which means it doesn’t require time off work or potentially a babysitter or finding a doctor,” Schmelter says. Pick it up at your convenience in any local retailer and in the family planning section.