Acknowledging that half the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended, the nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists says birth-control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms.
WASHINGTON — No prescription or doctor's exam needed: The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists says birth-control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms.
Tuesday's surprise opinion from these gatekeepers could boost longtime efforts by women's advocates to make the pill more accessible.
But no one expects the pill to be sold without a prescription any time soon: A drug company would have to seek government permission first, and it's not clear if any are considering it. Plus there are big questions about what such a move would mean for many women's wallets if oral contraceptives were no longer covered by insurance.
Still, momentum may be building.
Already, anyone 17 or older doesn't need to see a doctor before buying the morning-after pill — a higher-dose version of regular birth control that can prevent pregnancy if taken shortly after unprotected sex. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a meeting to gather ideas about how to sell regular oral contraceptives without a prescription, too.
Now the influential American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is declaring it's safe to sell the pill that way.
Wait, why would doctors who make money from women's yearly visits for a birth-control prescription advocate giving that up?
Half the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended, a rate that hasn't changed in 20 years — and easier access to birth-control pills could help, said Dr. Kavita Nanda, an OB/GYN who co-authored the opinion for the doctors group.
Continued...
WASHINGTON — No prescription or doctor's exam needed: The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists says birth-control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms.
Tuesday's surprise opinion from these gatekeepers could boost longtime efforts by women's advocates to make the pill more accessible.
But no one expects the pill to be sold without a prescription any time soon: A drug company would have to seek government permission first, and it's not clear if any are considering it. Plus there are big questions about what such a move would mean for many women's wallets if oral contraceptives were no longer covered by insurance.
Still, momentum may be building.
Already, anyone 17 or older doesn't need to see a doctor before buying the morning-after pill — a higher-dose version of regular birth control that can prevent pregnancy if taken shortly after unprotected sex. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a meeting to gather ideas about how to sell regular oral contraceptives without a prescription, too.
Now the influential American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is declaring it's safe to sell the pill that way.
Wait, why would doctors who make money from women's yearly visits for a birth-control prescription advocate giving that up?
Half the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended, a rate that hasn't changed in 20 years — and easier access to birth-control pills could help, said Dr. Kavita Nanda, an OB/GYN who co-authored the opinion for the doctors group.
Continued...