Selling Birth Control over the Counter

Expanding Access to Birth Control Options

More than 7 million pregnancies in the United States are thought to be unintentional, and up to 11% of women at risk of unintended pregnancies may not utilize some type of contraception (Johnson 1). This trend is far higher than in other developing countries. It also poses a significant public health challenge. These problems, including accidental pregnancies, may be addressed by expanding access to available birth control options. Preventative contraception is not available over-the-counter in the United States, Europe, or Canada. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), it would be safe to sell oral contraceptives over the counter. ACOG argues that women can self-screen for potential side effects. In addition, being able to access multiple packs and settle on a brand would improve adherence and continued use for greater effectiveness.

The Case for Selling Birth Control Pills Over the Counter

In this paper, I will argue that birth control pills should be sold over the counter, mainly to increase access to the critical drugs. Access would reduce the rates of unintended pregnancies, as well as the social and economic challenges that accompany unintended pregnancies. Increased access over the counter could also lead to effective contraceptive use through regular and continued administration. Although some may argue that it is necessary to visit a health institution and get counsel from a healthcare professional, women are able to read for any contraindications. In addition, contraceptives are not toxic or addictive.

Increased Access

The pills should be sold over the counter to increase access to this critical drug (Marcotte). Women in the United States (U.S.) rely on pills as a method of birth control more than any other method. Most of the people who have unintended pregnancies are minority women and those who identify as low-income. They are also aged between 18 and 24 and may be cohabiting. This potentially vulnerable group of women would have greater access to a contraceptive if birth-control pills were sold over the counter (Barot 85). Such women and any other vulnerable groups could benefit if the prescription requirement is lifted because the need for a prescription demands more time and effort.

Some women from low-income background are probably uninsured. Some may also be busy trying to make ends meet to survive of to cater for their young families (Barot 85). Consequently, they may have neither the insurance nor the time to visit a health care provider to issue a prescription for birth control pills. Again, some individuals may require arranging for childcare before they can visit a health institution, if they have a young family. Numerous factors may discourage women from visiting a health institution for a prescription, ranging from poverty to lifestyles. One way of doing away with these barriers to access is to allow for over the counter purchase of birth control pills.

Allowing the sale of birth control pills over the counter could give individuals and couples more control over the trajectory of their lives. Most people would like to plan when and how many children they will have. This is because having an unintended pregnancy comes with long-term implications for every aspect of one’s life. An unintended pregnancy will have an impact on one’s social life, economic life, and even health (Barot 85). Having a baby means more responsibilities including taking care of it and ensuring that it has a good upbringing. An unplanned pregnancy, therefore, comes with psychological stress and economic strain. The parents have to think of purchasing food, clothing, and other daily effects. In addition, parents of a child have to anticipate the future and plan for a baby’s schooling from elementary education all the way to college.

Reducing the amount and likelihood of unintended pregnancies, therefore, could lead to more fulfilled and happy families. Families that are able to plan for their children, according to their economic ability, will more likely accord them a happy and relatively less stressful environment. It is not only the children that are likely to be stressed following an unintended pregnancy, but also the parents. The parents would have to work extra hard and potentially strain themselves if they were not well off. Raising children in an environment where both parents and children are stressed could increase chances of conflict in families, and in turn unfulfilled lives. Allowing the sale of birth control over the counter and increasing overall access could have far-reaching positive effects that even influence the health of families.

Oral Contraceptive Pills: Effective and Accessible

Oral contraceptive pills are one of the most effective methods of contraception, in comparison to other options such as condoms or even those who may not use any option. Allowing over the counter access of birth control pills, therefore, would increase the effectiveness of birth control methods in use. This means that allowing women or couples to access birth control pills over the counter will not only decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies, but also increase the effectiveness of methods in use for those opting for pills (Center for Reproductive Rights 5). In addition, studies have shown that women are more likely to use pills more continuously if they are available over the counter compared to if they have to be prescribed (Rochman). Consequently, making birth control available over the counter increases the effectiveness of birth control in various ways.

Birth control pills have to be taken regularly. Insisting that women or couples visit a health care institution for a prescription before they can access the pills could interfere with continuous taking of the pill. This potentially makes these drugs less effective. However, allowing women access to these pills over the counter increases the chances that they can obtain them and use them correctly. They will not have to schedule an appointment in order to obtain the pills. Insisting on prescriptions could be keeping many away from pills especially if they lead busy lives and are unable to schedule doctor appointments. Birth control pills should be sold over the counter in order to encourage women to take them up without interfering with their daily routines, considering they are one of the most effective forms of contraception.

Controlled Access

Some people may argue that if birth control pills are sold over the country, there will be no opportunity for healthcare professionals to screen users for eligibility and give advice on contraindications and allergies. Furthermore, visiting a health institution allows professionals to advise users on other available options, including long-acting reversible contraceptives (Marcotte). In addition, healthcare providers could offer other critical associated services in reproductive health such as screening for sexually transmitted infections, carrying out pelvic exams, and counseling. According to such people, visits to the hospital increase health overall, even though the associated services may not be directly related to contraceptives.

However, most women of childbearing age are able to read and understand contraindications. In addition, birth control pills are hardly toxic or addictive. Therefore, women should be able to take birth control pills without necessarily seeing a medical doctor since they can self-screen for allergies and contraindications (Barot 86). Birth control pills are also not prone to misuse because they do not have any other potentially attractive benefits to users. Birth control pills should be sold over the counter since there are no major risks associated with their use without the input of a doctor. Nevertheless, it would be important to retain screening services for users who feel they could benefit from such sessions.

Saying that women need to obtain oral contraceptives via prescriptions only in order to be able to access services such as pap smears and pelvic exams could actually discourage women from turning up at the doctor’s. This is because some of these procedures are quite invasive for some women, despite their usefulness in ensuring overall health. Consequently, some women may be avoiding visits to the doctor to get oral contraceptives simply because the sessions are likely to be uncomfortable (Marcotte). Therefore, making oral contraceptives available over the counter could make them more accessible to the women who need and prefer them, in turn reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and associated challenges.

Women should have a say on matters that directly affect their health and lives extensively. According to research, more women, nearly two-thirds, would prefer to buy oral contraceptives over the counter and more would switch to oral contraceptives if they were offered over the counter (Marcotte). Limiting the dispensing of oral contraceptives to prescriptions is denying women a critical right to determine the course of their lives and even dignity. Women of childbearing age are able to make sound decisions on what they want for their bodies and should be given an opportunity so that they do not feel like they do not have control over their bodies.

Conclusion

The debate over whether to allow the sale of birth control pills over the counter is critical not only because it is a health issue but also because it directly affects most women individually. The ability to control birth is a major issue for all women of childbearing age. Giving birth could significantly determine the course of one’s life, whether socially, economically, or health wise. Therefore, women should have as much control over their fertility as possible, provided they are not putting their lives at risk.

If oral contraceptives are made available over the counter, everybody wins. There will be much fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions. We will have healthier communities in which parents and children and not under stress. The time doctors spend writing prescriptions for oral contraceptives could also be diverted to more critical health issues. Women of childbearing age should be able to have a say on what they want and how they want it. Oral contraceptive pills are largely safe. They are hardly toxic or addictive. In addition, women and users should be able to read and understand any contraindications as presented with the pills and decide privately whether they are safe to take.

Works Cited

Barot, Sneha. “Moving oral contraceptives to over-the-counter status: policy versu politics.” Guttmacher Policy Review (2015): 85-91.

Center for Reproductive Rights. Over the counter the next big step for birth control. New York, NY: Center for Reproductive Rights, 2016.

Johnson, Nadine. “Crossing the border for the pill: an analysis of the decision to purchase oral contraceptives over-the-counter from Mexican pharmacies.” 2014.

Marcotte, Amanda. “Birth control should be available over the counter.” 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. 10 December 2017. .

Rochman, Bonnie. “An argument for making birth-control pills available over the counter.” 1 March 2011. TIME. http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/01/an-argument-for-making-birth-control-pills-available-over-the-counter/. 9 November 2017.