Over-the-counter oral contraception in the United States: An important opportunity at a time of increased concern about contraceptive access

Riley J. Steiner, Raegan McDonald-Mosley

Contraception 

Access to the full range of contraceptive methods is a foundational component of reproductive well-being, and we are at a pivotal moment for contraceptive access in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering the first-ever application for an over-the-counter (OTC) progestin-only oral contraceptive pill—a culmination of more than two decades of science and advocacy that would put the U.S. on par with many other countries where oral contraception has long been available OTC. This opportunity to expand access to contraception is all the more important in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision overturning fundamental abortion protections in the United States. Between misconceptions conflating contraception with abortion, which have been strategically perpetuated to undermine contraceptive access, and explicit questioning of long-standing legal precedent for contraceptive rights, the scientific community must do all it can to ensure equitable access informed by evidence.