OTC birth control pills are closer than ever this Free the Pill Day

CAMBRIDGE, MA—Following last week’s leaked Supreme Court draft opinion rolling back abortion rights, access to the full range of reproductive health care—including abortion and birth control—is crucial. Over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pills provide one way to expand access during this time. 

May 9 marks the 4th annual Free the Pill Day, commemorating 62 years since birth control pills were first approved in the United States. It’s expected that HRA Pharma will submit an application to the FDA for the first-ever OTC progestin-only birth control pill later this year—a potential groundbreaking expansion for reproductive health access. This submission is the culmination of decades of coalition-driven work and campaign efforts to raise awareness about the barriers people face to accessing birth control and the need for more equitable access to contraception, including OTC birth control pills.  

More than 99% of women ages 15-44 in the US who have ever had sex have used some form of birth control and 60% are currently using birth control. OTC birth control pills have broad support among a range of groups, including health care providers, policymakers, people across the political spectrum, parents, and birth control users themselves, with 70% of women of reproductive age supporting making birth control pills available OTC. With a submission to the FDA anticipated this year, advocates and champions are elevating the barriers people face to birth control pills and the need for OTC access. This includes: 

Advocates for Youth, alongside nearly 300 young people across the country, launched a campaign to leave fake birth control pill boxes with QR codes on the shelves at local drugstores and student stores to help people imagine what it would look like if birth control pills were available OTC.   
 
Last month, over 60 coalition members, including advocates, researchers, and provider organizations, submitted a letter to FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf urging the agency to follow the science when it considers any application for an OTC birth control pill. 
 
Members of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, led by Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Judy Chu, submitted a letter to the FDA calling on the agency to advance public health and follow the science as it reviews upcoming applications for OTC birth control pills. 
 
Organizations are taking to social media to voice their support for why birth control pills need to be available OTC by using the hashtag #FreeThePill. 

“Equitable access to birth control gives us the freedom to make decisions about our health, bodies, and lives with dignity and respect,” said Victoria Nichols, project director of Free the Pill, a campaign to educate and engage in support of OTC birth control pills in the US. “For more than 15 years, advocates across the country have voiced their support for bringing birth control pills over the counter, and now—at this pivotal moment for reproductive health access—we’re closer than ever to that being a reality.”  

Birth control pills are one of the best-studied medicines on the market and are about 99% effective when used exactly as directed and 91% effective with typical use. People are able to determine if birth control pills are right for them by using a simple checklist. 

“Now more than ever, we must be vigilant in our efforts to expand access to affordable and effective birth control,” said Belle Taylor-McGhee, who serves on a national steering committee working to bring oral contraceptives OTC in the US. “It’s time we make the pill an over-the-counter product for people who need it. Eliminating unnecessary barriers to the birth control pill is not only good science, it’s a commonsense approach to sound reproductive health care policy.” 

Despite its proven safety and efficacy, people still face barriers to getting a prescription for birth control pills. One-third of adult women in the US who have ever tried to obtain prescription birth control reported barriers to access. These barriers include the cost of a visit with a health care provider, lack of insurance coverage, time away from work or school and other disruptions, transportation, and finding childcare. These barriers fall harder on people of color and Indigenous peoples, young people, immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, those working to make ends meet, and people with disabilities because of systemic and structural inequities. The same communities who face barriers to birth control access bear the brunt of abortion restrictions and can find themselves with a lack of options when it comes to reproductive health care. 

"Young people, in particular, need the pill available without a prescription because we struggle to find transportation and time away from class or work to get to a doctor's appointment, and some even face stigma from parents or doctors who don't think we should be in charge of our own sexual health,” said Bex Heimbrock (they/them), #FreeThePill Youth Council member. “Young people are imagining a world where people with uteruses can have easy and affordable access to the birth control pill, where someone can simply go to their local drugstore and purchase the pill right off the shelf. This is already a reality in over 100 countries, so why isn’t it a reality here in the US?"

Free the Pill Day marks one step closer to bringing birth control pills over the counter

CAMBRIDGE, MA—Today, ahead of Free the Pill Day on May 9, a coalition of more than 100 national, state, and local reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations, researchers, and health care providers are celebrating their commitment to moving birth control pills over the counter in the United States. On the third annual Free the Pill Day, the coalition is calling for over-the-counter birth control pills that are backed by science, fully covered by insurance, affordable, and available to people of all ages.

61 years since the birth control pill was first approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, people still face barriers to access—barriers that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis. Especially now, over-the-counter birth control pills would give people greater options to control their reproductive health, particularly those who face the greatest barriers.

More than 99% of women ages 15-44 in the United States who have ever had sex have used some form of birth control and 60% are currently using birth control. Birth control pills are about 99% effective when used exactly as directed and 91% effective with typical use.

“Birth control pills are one of the best-studied medicines on the market today,” said Dr. Tina Raine-Bennett. “We have decades of research that point to their safety and effectiveness.”

Despite their common use, safety, and effectiveness, people still face barriers to getting a prescription for birth control. One-third of adult US women who have ever tried to obtain prescription birth control reported barriers to access.

“For many people in the US, getting and refilling a prescription for birth control is not easy, and the pandemic has made access even more challenging,” said Kelly Blanchard, president of Ibis Reproductive Health. “Over-the-counter birth control pills can help bridge the gaps in access so everyone has the ability to make the best decisions for themselves, their families, and their health.”

Barriers to a birth control prescription include having access to a health care provider, the cost of a visit with a provider, lack of insurance coverage, time away from work or school and other disruptions, childcare, and transportation. These barriers disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, AAPI, and Latinx people, young people, immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, and those working to make ends meet.

“Reproductive justice includes making decisions about our own bodies and lives with dignity and respect,” said Denicia Cadena, policy director at Bold Futures New Mexico. “Over-the-counter birth control pills remove some of the barriers that stand in the way of that. We all need the ability to control our reproductive health and lives—whoever we are, wherever we live, and however much money we have.”

People of all ages are behind removing the barriers to birth control: 70% of women ages 18-49 support over-the-counter birth control pills and 76% of young people believe birth control should be available without a prescription.

“Young people shouldn’t have to jump through unnecessary hoops to gain access to the contraceptive care they need,” said Angela Maske, the Free the Pill campaign manager at Advocates for Youth. “That’s why we’re launching the #FreeThePill Virtual Store, to call attention to the barriers in the way of access, and visualize the future young people are fighting for.”

The Free the Pill Virtual Store invites visitors into a world where birth control pills are available over the counter and on the shelves without restrictions. Store visitors will learn about the barriers in the way of access, earn merchandise, view #FreeThePill art from artists like Mona Chalabi, and take action to make birth control pills available over the counter, covered by insurance, and free of age restrictions.