The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approved the first over the counter (“OTC”) birth control pill on Thursday. Now, you’ll be able to walk into a local Walgreens or CVS, find a pill on the shelf, and purchase it without a prescription.
Dr. Melissa Simon, professor of clinical gynecology at Northwestern University told NBC news: “This is a monumental decision. OTC birth control is available in over 100 countries, so we’ve been behind in availing safe, effective methods such as this oral contraceptive pill to individuals who are trying to avoid pregnancy.”
Expect pro-life activists to be up in arms over this. Teenagers under 18 will also be able to purchase the pill, making it a lightning rod for controversy.
In fact, Michigan Pro-Life has already suggested the idea of boycotting Rite-Aid, which announced that the new pill will be available for purchase at their stores:
Can YOU help protect the unborn from chemical abortion?
CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens intend to dispense the DEADLY abortion pill Mifepristone. pic.twitter.com/JFA3nliLLN
— Protect Life Michigan (@ProtectLifeMI) July 11, 2023
But one liberal activist, Kristan Hawkins, spoke to an actual doctor about the supposed dangers of the abortion bill. Pro-life advocates say once you’re on it, it can cause bodily harm or make future pregnancy much less likely. The doctor disagreed:
Abortion pill reversal is safe and effective. Don’t listen to the lies of the pro-abortion movement. pic.twitter.com/c7o6WapcGT
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) July 11, 2023
A director at the FDA told NBC News, “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.”
And it should be noted these pills won’t be government-funded. Since they’re over the counter, they’ll be cheap enough not to be included in medical insurance. That may take away a key argument from the pro-life movement. While the government approved this pill, they are not funding it.
Although, it should be noted, the pill has a concerning side effects. Younger women have been known to experience vaginal bleeding, and some might not think to seek help from a medical provider. Still, the bleeding hasn’t proven to be fatal.
“There are no good scientific reasons to keep them from being as accessible as possible,” Dr. Sarah Prager told NBC News. She’s an obstetrics and gynecology specialist in Seattle.
Time will tell if that’s the case or not, or if new medical anomalies will halt the pill in its tracks.
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