Contraception

One year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access

More than 100 countries were already selling birth control without a prescription before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — one year ago as of Thursday — approved Opill. Though the hormonal, over-the-counter birth control pill was approved in May 2023, it didn’t reach online retailers or the shelves of major drug stores across the country until a couple of months ago.
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Upholding the Right to Choose: The Imperative for Federal Protection of Over-the-Counter Birth Control Access

Network for Public Health Law Executive Director, Dr. Vineeta Gupta, explores the challenges and opportunities related to the new over-the-counter oral contraceptive Opill, including the potential for states to impose age-related restrictions on its purchase. Her perspective as a human rights lawyer and maternal health physician offers a comprehensive look at key areas to protect access to Opill.
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When will women get real reproductive health care in America? Opinion

Last month, Kellyanne Conway made waves within the Republican Party when she announced she was visiting Capitol Hill to promote access to contraception. Her rationale? A pro-contraception message could turn the tide for “young voters” in a post-Roe world. But instead of garnering support, especially from young women, Conway faced intense backlash from within her own party.  
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Contraception in Over 50s

In today’s world, with divorce and separation becoming reality in the life of many couples, as well as a growing number of never-married women, the need for contraception is present even among older women. Women above 50 have a very low rate of pregnancy, but this event is accompanied by a high pregnancy-related morbidity, an increased mortality rate, and a higher risk of fetal congenital abnormality.
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HHS Awards $23 Million to Support Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of Population Affairs (OPA), is announcing approximately $23 million in funding to foster innovation, provide new research, and expand the evidence to support and advance equity in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program. The TPP program is a national, competitive program that provides funding to replicate and scale evidence-based programs and develop and evaluate new and innovative approaches to prevent unintentional teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents, promote positive youth development, and advance equity in adolescent health. 'Our TPP program provides new research on innovative…
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NC pharmacists emerge as new prescribers of hormonal contraceptives

"Work is underway to bolster access to contraception at pharmacies in an effort to combat ‘contraceptive deserts’ amid the post-Roe reproductive health care environment. Reimbursement poses barrier to implementation. A 31-year-old Asian American woman hopped into an Uber on a mission — to head to a pharmacy in New Bern to get birth control. Because of her family’s cultural and religious beliefs, she was not allowed to go to doctors’ appointments alone nor to ask for contraception. But pharmacists’ new ability to prescribe hormonal contraception in North Carolina gave her the opportunity to get connected to the pregnancy prevention method…
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Extreme Temperatures Threaten Effectiveness of Pregnancy Tests and Birth Control

"Extreme heat has already made pregnancy more dangerous. Now, it is also complicating efforts to control when and how someone becomes pregnant: Record heat waves across the country could threaten access to effective pregnancy tests, condoms and emergency contraception pills. All of these items can sustain serious damage in extreme heat, rendering them ineffective when used. And all have become critical resources for people living in states with abortion bans and who are trying to avoid pregnancy. In those states, few options exist to terminate an unintended pregnancy other than acquiring abortion pills online or traveling out of state for care.…
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Contraception — Research Paper from the Natl Library of Medicine

"Contraception counseling and provision are vital components of comprehensive health care. An unplanned pregnancy can be particularly challenging for patients with chronic illness. Internal medicine physicians are uniquely positioned to assess pregnancy readiness and provide contraception, as they often intersect with pregnancy-capable patients at the moment of a new diagnosis or when providing ongoing care for a chronic medical condition...."
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More states are moving toward over-the-counter hormonal birth control: What to know

In the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court ruling that there is no constitutional right to abortion, more states are moving toward increasing access to hormonal contraceptives without a clinician’s prescription. Last week, Arizona joined the 19 other states and Washington, D.C., that allow patients over the age of 18 to obtain hormonal contraceptives without being seen by a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) said the move to do so was for “standing up to the extremists who threaten access to basic healthcare our families rely on.”
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