<
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fda-approves-first-over-the-counter-birth-control-pill-180982545/>
"The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first daily
oral contraceptive for over-the-counter use on Thursday. The medication, called
Opill, was initially approved in 1973, but its manufacturer, Perrigo’s HRA
Pharma, applied for the drug to be available without a prescription last year.
“This is a monumental decision,” Melissa Simon, a clinical gynecology
researcher at Northwestern University, tells Berkeley Lovelace Jr. of NBC News.
“OTC birth control is available in over 100 countries, so we’ve been behind in
availing safe, effective methods such as this oral contraceptive pill to
individuals who are trying to avoid pregnancy.”
The pill is one of the most popular forms of birth control—in 2018, about 20
percent of contraceptive users ages 15 to 49 were taking a pill. Oral birth
control pills are up to 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy when taken
daily, and Opill was found to be 93 percent effective, per
NBC News. They
come in two main varieties, according to Mayo Clinic: combination birth control
pills and the minipill. Combination pills, the most common, contain the
hormones estrogen and progestin. Minipills, including Opill, contain only
progestin.
Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American
Medical Association (AMA) have applauded the FDA decision, saying the move will
help provide millions of patients gain “broader access to safe and effective
reproductive health care,” per a statement from the AMA."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-trachoma-human-rights-mexico-river-madrid-spain/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
