The Massachusetts Medical Society and its Committee on Maternal and Perinatal Welfare applaud the recent United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to allow the over-the-counter sale of progestin-only birth control, noting myriad evidence of the safety and efficacy of the medication in preventing unintended pregnancies.
The Medical Society asserts that health care is a basic human right and that right includes access to critical reproductive health care services like contraception. Protecting and expanding access to reproductive care is a public health priority as patients and the health care system contend with the effects of the Dobbs decision. By approving the sale of over-the-counter contraception, the FDA has taken an important step in addressing barriers to accessing and using contraception –office visit co-pays, inconvenience of scheduling appointments, and insurance challenges. Difficulties accessing health care, including birth control, are rooted in systemic inequities and disproportionately affect people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and those facing financial hardship. This decision will help bridge gaps in access, advance health equity, and give people greater control over their reproductive choices and lives.
The Medical Society will continue to work with engaged stakeholders to ensure that the medication is widely available and affordable.
-Barbara S. Spivak, MD, President, Massachusetts Medical Society
