Getting "The Pill" Over-the-Counter

The Femtastic Podcast

Imagine if you could easily get your birth control over-the-counter, just as you do with other safe, effective medicines like Tylenol and cough drops. Today's guest is Aisha Chaudhri, a reproductive justice advocate and leader of the Contraceptive Justice Project at EverThrive Illinois, who is working to increase access to comprehensive contraceptive care - including by making oral contraceptives available without a prescription.

In this episode, Aisha discusses why more methods of contraception should be made available over-the-counter (OTC) and the reasons why the United States is one of the few countries in the world where they are not already (hint: it's not for any scientific reason).

Aisha explains how increasing the availability of OTC methods of contraception creates greater equity in healthcare by increasing financial and physical access to these medications, and allowing people to care for themselves outside of a clinical setting and regardless of insurance status. Aisha tells listeners what they can do to help make OTC oral contraceptives a reality in the US.

Episode Resources:

• What can we do to help?
  • Free the Pill campaign is a public-facing education & awareness campaign created by the OCs OTC working group with highly shareable and informative resources!
  • For people working in healthcare settings or sexual & reproductive health nonprofits, you can sign on to the statement of purpose from the Oral Contraceptives Over-The-Counter (OCs OTC) working group (convened by Ibis Reproductive Health, an international research institution)
• The majority of countries across the world already offer oral contraceptives (OCs) OTC. Here is a world map showing where the pill is OTC and a more detailed world map showing the different types of OTC status for the pill.
• Currently there is not an OC available OTC, but there are many states that already have coverage for OTC contraceptives both in Medicaid and insurance:
  • Medicaid Coverage of OTC Contraceptives by State (26 states plus DC)
  • Insurance Coverage of OTC Contraceptives by State (12 states plus DC)

• The Oral Contraceptives (OCs) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Working Group and its supporters: doctors, nurses, reproductive health experts, and social + reproductive justice groups are all part of the working group and many more have signed onto the statement of purpose
• Legal and policy resources:
  • Hill Memo – OTC Coverage Overview for Federal Policies
  • NWLC Webinar – An Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Is Coming: Building the Legal & Policy Framework for Insurance Coverage Accessibility