Could perscription birth control become a thing of the past?
Has the time come for over the counter birth control pills? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently released a statement that it was time for over the counter birth control pills.
Birth control pills are pills taken by women to prevent unwanted pregnancies or to sometimes even help with medical conditions a woman may have. Having birth control be OTC (over the counter) would make it easier for women in many ways, such as not having to make a doctor's appointment or just being able to grab it quickly after forgetting to call in the refill.
It would also make it more easily available for teens who are often afraid to ask their parents to be put on birth control. However, there are some drawbacks on why birth control should not be offered OTC, such as women not being able to afford the pill without the help of insurance or women choosing the cheapest option and that not being the correct type of for their body. So, yes birth control should be OTC, but the price does need to be regulated and insurance should still be used to provide women with it.
Nothing has really changed in the world of birth control for women over the years. As long as a woman knows the type of medication she should be using, there shouldn’t be a problem with OTC birth control. The author of the New York Times article stated that birth control really hasn’t changed over the years and that the pill she took 25 years ago is most likely the same pill her daughter is taking today. She even states that the pills are possibly even safer now because of the lower doses of estrogen.
Women would also be able to focus so much more on their daily lives than have to worry about making a doctor's appointment or interrupting their day to call the pharmacy and wait for the prescription to be ready.
With the many great benefits of being able to grab birth control OTC, there does come some disadvantages, such as not being able to afford the birth control if it would no longer be covered by insurance.
There is also the possibility that women would not know the proper pill for them or even go for the cheapest one since their insurance no longer covers it. An article titled Should Birth Control Be Over the Counter?, states that OTC birth control pills could make it difficult for women who can’t afford the price of birth control if it were to be offered OTC. There is no saying how much the cost of this birth control might even be and with more than half of women from age 18-35 struggling with the cost at one point makes it scary to see how bad it would be if it wasn’t covered by insurance at all.
So, yes it could make it easier for the daily life of many women, but is it really worth it for those who can’t afford it and may truly need it?
