A New Chapter in Birth Control

Last week, the FDA approved Opill as the first over-the-counter hormonal

The FDA’s approval of the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States could be a revolutionary change in birth control and reproductive health, says Katharine O’Connell White, MD, MPH, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology,

White, who is also vice chair of academics and associate director of the complex family planning fellowship at Boston Medical Center, says she felt “jubilation and glee” at hearing news of the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Opill, a hormonal birth control pill, on Thursday.

“After a year during which there has been very little good news about people’s reproductive health, this is the first solid win in a long time,” she says. “And it finally puts the United States on par with most other countries in the world, where people have always had access to pills without a prescription.”

The news was received with support from almost every major reproductive health organization in the country, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

The FDA’s approval comes amid myriad legal battles over reproductive rights—and almost exactly a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, rescinding the right to abortion nationally.

Perrigo Company, which manufactures the pill, says it will likely be available in stores and from online retailers in the United States in early 2024.

BU Today spoke with White about the safety and effectiveness of Opill, as well as questions that still remain about its rollout and accessibility. Learn more.