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Two years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , new research is looking at who's switching to it and why.
In the study, published Monday in , researchers used survey data from 986 people, ages 15 to 45, in 44 states who obtained the over-the-counter pill either online or at a pharmacy. They found that a significant portion of users shifted to the over-the-counter pill from a less-effective method of birth control or from using no contraception at all.
Of those surveyed, they found a 31.8 percentage point increase in use by people who previously used no contraceptive method. A 41 percentage point increase was seen in those who switched from a less-effective method, like condoms or emergency contraception.
, the over-the-counter, progestin-only pill from drugmaker Perrigo, provides an option for obtaining oral contraceptives without needing to first see a health care provider. Allowing people to access the pill without a prescription was done in hopes of reducing barriers to access, according to the FDA's news release at the time of approval, which noted that almost half of the 6.1 million pregnancies in the U.S. each year are unintended.
The new research "is one of the first studies to show that over-the-counter birth control pills are reaching the very people they're meant to help — those who face the greatest barriers to care," lead author Dr. Maria Rodriguez, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, said in .
Those accessing the over-the-counter pill were more likely than prescription users to be uninsured, younger (ages 15-20) and living in rural areas, according to the study.
The most common reason people gave in the survey for choosing the OTC pill was that it didn't require an appointment, followed by those who said they didn't have a regular physician.
"At a time when pregnancy is becoming even in the United States — especially for people of color, those with low incomes, and those living in rural communities — our findings underscore that OTC contraception is a powerful tool for reproductive autonomy," Rodriguez said.
Dr. Jessica Shepherd, a board-certified OBGYN and Chief Medical Officer of the healthcare company Hers, said the study's findings underscore both the progress and persistent gaps in reproductive healthcare.
"While greater access to contraception without prescriptions can be life-changing for women with limited resources, it also highlights how deeply the repercussions of unplanned pregnancies still ripple through healthcare systems and communities," Shepherd, who was not part of the study, told TheNews. "Unplanned pregnancies often result in higher maternal and infant health risks, financial strain, and long-term socioeconomic challenges-consequences that weigh most heavily on women who already face barriers to care."
