FDA Panel Backs , Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill.
NPR reports that a panel of advisers has
recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approve the first over-the-counter birth control pill. .
Pending the FDA's approval,
Opill will be sold by Perrigo.
The progestin-only pill utilizes a synthetic version
of the hormone to prevent pregnancy,
while most other pills also contain estrogen.
I feel that the risk of unintended pregnancy
is lower with this approach than any
of the other available contraceptive
approaches that women have access
to without seeing a health care provider, Dr. Deborah Armstrong, a professor of oncology,
gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins, via NPR.
I voted yes because the evidence
demonstrates that the benefits clearly
exceed the risks. Opill has the potential
to have a huge public health impact, Kathryn Curtis, a health scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's division of reproductive health, via NPR.
NPR reports that the FDA questioned whether the
company had provided enough evidence to convince
the panel of the pill's safety without medical guidance.
One point the agency expressed concern about was if women with breast cancer would be aware
that the pill would be dangerous for them to take.
Ultimately, the advisery panel concluded that women
know enough about oral contraceptives to use
the over-the-counter version safely and effectively.
I think this represents a landmark
in our history of women's health.
Unwanted pregnancies can really
derail a woman's life, and
especially an adolescent's life, Dr. Margery Gass of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, via NPR.
So I'm very pleased that the FDA
is seriously considering this. And I look
forward to it being on the market, Dr. Margery Gass of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, via NPR