We need to talk about over-the-counter birth control...

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States approved an oral progestin-only birth control pill for over-the-counter sale. It’s a progestin-only pill called Opill that should be available in early 2024 (unless the cartoon villains at the Alliance Defending Freedom file some bullsh*t lawsuit to prevent it, which is depressingly likely). This is a HUGE step for reproductive health access in the United States, and one that I fully support as a board-certified obgyn. Maybe you heard some scary-sounding reasons why this could be dangerous. Here, I’ll explain why the science itself supports this as a safe and effective method of contraception.
00:00 Intro - FDA approval
00:27 OTC hormonal BC globally
1:24 Hormonal BC use in the US now
4:35 Difficulty accessing prescription BC
6:46 Potential risk - counseling
7:36 Potential risk - self-screening
17:30 ACOG statement
20:09 Potential risk - annual screenings
25:19 Opill overview
31:52 Back-up contraception
Watch next:
Debunking viral birth control lies: • Gynecologist Debunks V...
Male birth control: • Do we really NEED male...
Bizarre historical birth control: • Historical birth contr...
Resources:
Journal of Women’s Health: www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.108...
Contraception journal: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22520...
American College of Obstetricians Committee Opinion: www.acog.org/clinical/clinica...
Self-screening for birth control:
birth control,contraception,opill,fda,us politics,medication,over the counter birth control,prescription,medicine,reproductive health,dr danielle jones,danielle jones md,mama doctor jones
Want to support science & connect with us? Join the MDJ community:
/ @mamadoctorjones
I stream on Twitch weekly (usually Sundays): / mamadoctorjones -
Playlist of full-length Twitch streams for channel members: • Full-Length Live Streams
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL:
Instagram: / mamadoctorjones
Twitter: / mamadoctorjones
TikTok: / mamadoctorjones
** The information in this video is intended to serve as educational information and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/advanced practice provider. **
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[@maddiejoy6619]

I'm a Type 1 diabetic and I've had insulin held hostage to get me to come in for an exam. I've also had mental health meds held hostage for the same reason. In both cases, I believe the culprit was actually the insurance company, not my providers.

[@elisharoberts1029]

Preach!!!!

[@fancydeer]

they could have killed you 😡

[@jessicabraun8729]

That's so terrible and dangerous for both cases! I'm sorry that happened to you.

[@bunnybaker2289]

Freaking America 🙄

[@genera1013]

This happened to my dad, he's asthmatic. The VA told him NOT to come in due to covid, then cancelled his predictions because he hadn't come in in two years, that two years being during covid when they told him not to come in. He ended up in the ER for a week because he couldn't breathe. Finally got his inhaler then.

[@mandlerparr1]

I have never, not once, had a doctor discuss efficacy with me. I have read posters on walls or doors and inserts, but not one doctor has said anything.

[@boogiebear3095]

Same, and it was the pharmacist that told me the way antibiotics may mess with the pill and to use back up

[@jamiebumbaugh]

yes same actually??

[@elisharoberts1029]

Ditto. I've rarely had them even mention what not to take with it or tell me a time of day to take it. For decades I was taking multiple medications that were known to elongate their efficacy if taken at the same time or within x hours of taking some of my other medications. My Dr was the one who prescribed each of them. It was an absolute fluke that my mail order pharmacy ran out of one of my meds, and I had to fill at a retail pharmacy. My pharmacist was like wait hold up. You can't take these medications together. Otherwise, they don't work, and you're literally flushing your money down the drain.

[@MamaDoctorJones]

Yah, that's a great point - probably more likely to be informed on this if OTC with easy-to-understand insert....

[@kazzagreen84]

My doctors have.

[@gaypikachu1999]

Committing birth is the funniest and also most accurate phrase I've heard to describe the choice to birth a child lmao

[@jerelull9629]

Try as I might, I can't think of a better way to express it, though I've heard "birthing a child" recently, which made sense in that context.

[@dawnmoore9122]

I think it was her who said her kid once called it "laying a baby", which also totally works!!!

[@Owleyearts]

In the US there have been instances of Walgreens pharmacy employees refusing to fill valid birth control prescriptions due to their personal religious beliefs. Having it available over the counter would also prevent that nonsense from happening.

[@kirsteneve6733]

I used to work for Walgreens pharmacy, this is so true! People are disgusting. There was a floater pharmacist that refused to fill cytotec for a lady who was actively miscarrying. As if miscarrying wasn’t shitty enough

[@Aliceherz24]

hm, would pharmacists be able to refuse to sell it otc tho? I'm not sure about the laws over there but if they can refuse a prescription I would assume refusing a purchase would be just as easy or easier?

[@jacksondawn5629]

@@Aliceherz24 Most pharmacies have regular checkouts and you can just grab a box of pills and go to the front. Some even have self checkouts so you don't have to deal with others at all

[@AwesomeSpyro]

It amazes me that that's even a thing in America. In the UK I have never heard anyone have their prescription not fulfilled/prescribed due to employee's/doctor's personal beliefs. I'm pretty sure they would get into heaps of trouble for doing that.

[@crowblackbird9962]

Should we block men from receiving ED pills until they receive a prostate/testicular exam? I think this is similar to blocking birth control based on having/not having screenings.

[@sgg3893]

Yeah and take away their OTC enhancers.

[@kellyyork3898]

Make fat, old, smelly men get a colonoscopy and test for STDs before they can get their insulin OR Viagra.

[@AdamantErinyes]

Men do need to meet certain requirements to get ED medicine. Mostly cardiovascular. There are also certain conditions that are contraindications to certain kinds of birth control. I get migraines with auras so I can't have any BC with estrogen because I could get a fatal blood clot.

[@mayaflorey5018]

amen amen amen

[@Sandra-ct1rd]

Im swedish and we need a prescription here but you dont need to take your pants of to get a prescription.

[@LilacShade]

I am Dutch. Hormonal contraceptives are prescription only. However, you only need to get your prescription once. After your GP prescribes you the contraceptives, it counts as an ongoing/repeated prescription and your pharmacists can provide you with the medication as long as you want. On top of that, I can get a years worth of contraceptives at the time from my pharmacy, which greatly reduces the risk of running out or having other supply issues.

[@jerelull9629]

Just find some place safe to store all those pill packs properly.

[@LilacShade]

@@jerelull9629 they should be stored at room temperature. The pharmacy recommends just putting them somewhere in a random drawer (dark + cooler), but honestly, as long as you don't store them in direct sunlight (like next to a window) anything goes. They are not very high maintenance meds.

[@sintara8442]

It makes sense for the USA though to have them available over the counter. It is really expensive for people there to see a doctor. The only downside is that nobody is checking which kind of bc would fit best, but that's minor compared to all the issues of going without access to any BC at all

[@SonjaHamburg]

Oh wow❤ here in germany everything is always so unnecessarily bureaucratic. I only need an exam 2x per year. But i always have to come in and get a new prescription from the front desk in between. (Ok, but i realise that is a "First World Problem) compared to American healthcare. )

[@AandM8]

You’re so lucky. Here in the US, at least for me, I only get 12 weeks worth. I got it prescribed with 2 refills. Every time I use those 2 refills, I have to get it re prescribed 🙃 like, okay. Let’s just make more work on literally everyone.

[@jaheje7079]

Im 29 and have 3 babies. I dont have a single issue asking for and getting BC now but before i had my kids... it was a f***ing nightmare. Planned parenthood became my only provider for those years because they actually wanted to help me not get pregnant.

[@lauralowry9895]

I am 56 and no longer need the BCP, but 35 years ago, I couldn't even find a doctor that would give me and Rx as an unmarried woman in a conservative Christian community. When I was at my annual well woman exam and knew that I was getting engaged soon, I requested the BCP, and was told to come back when I had my wedding set and I could get it starting 2 months before that date so I'd be in the habit by my wedding. Also asked if my parents knew I was interested in going on the pill. I was 21! Last time I went to that Ob/Gyn practice. Started driving an hour to go to a new practice just to get Rx.

[@strugglingcollegestudent]

I’m 20 and have no kids I’m fortunate because I’ve never had this issue

[@jerelull9629]

50 years ago when I was a teen, planned Parenthood was the only provider of accurate sex information, and they had a BIG bowl of condoms just inside the front door we teens could just grab out of without entirely showing our faces inside. A great option for we who couldn't afford to buy condoms, and certainly couldn't afford to get pregnant.

[@inakuvaswaldenstrm6117]

​@@jerelull9629condoms are way to expensive

[@dorissaclaire]

I was taking birth control for 5+ years from multiple different providers before anyone ever asked me screening questions beyond “do you smoke?” At 20, a nurse practitioner sat down with me in a super nonjudgmental way and went through everything. I had always been too nervous to ask if smoking pot counted as “smoking”. She said not for these questions because it is the nicotine itself that increases risk. We also discussed my menstrual migraines for a long while, because as a teenager I had symptoms similar to an aura preceding my menstrual migraines. In the end, we decided that my current migraines were not with aura and CHC was safe for me to use. We also talked about diaphragms and menstrual cups and familiarity with one’s vagina. It was one of the best healthcare experiences I’ve had!

[@anainesgonzalez8868]

This is so nice. I really hope more practitioners to be like this

[@leza4453]

I am not living in the US: Do your drug packages not come with a leaflet where all risks, contra-indications, other interfering drugs and dosages are listed? Those are mandatory in my country.

[@eleanoreliz]

@@leza4453 Yes, it comes in an attached leaflet. Often quite thick and printed in very small font to jam all the information in. The same information is generally easily accessible online. I think what this commenter's experience really highlights though is that concerns around "OTC birth control would mean people aren't getting properly screened" don't really bear out. As in this commenter's experience, many people prescribed BC find that health care providers are fine writing a prescription without throughly going through screening questions with them. For this commenter it took 5+ years to actually run into a health care professional who did a through screening, took the time to discuss their health history, and made them feel comfortable enough to ask about pot use!

[@AnnieLovesKillljoys]

​@@leza4453I live un the US and we do have little packets but they're very very long with small font and in medical language that can be hard to understand

[@dorissaclaire]

@@leza4453 I actually go through the trouble to read those things, and to my recollection the BC insert said if you were a smoker it increased your risk of blood clots and if you were 35+ and a smoker you should not use. For pretty much everything (I’m talking depression, headache, constipation, nausea, itchiness, etc) it just says talk to your doctor.

[@gooses78]

I am an RN in the US, and I think a self screening tool is great. In the US, not all doctors do an effective job of screening or educating patients before prescribing birth control. I personally have a friend that "committed pregnancy" because she was never told that certain antibiotics can decrease the efficacy of birth control. I have a second friend that was not educated about the risks of birth control pills and smoking. She lost a leg to a blood clot.

[@jolenejoleeene]

I went to college at a party school in the 90s. One of our friends discovered that antibiotics decrease contraceptive efficacy, while alcohol decreased antibiotic efficacy. We joked that our drinking habits made it more likely to need both. No medical professional had ever let us know about any of this. We started calling it the trifecta of doom when we continued to spread the news.

[@UlexiteTVStoneLexite]

I had a coworker that got pregnant because she was taking antibiotics while on birth control

[@thatjillgirl]

@@jolenejoleeene There's not great evidence for antibiotics in general decreasing birth control efficacy. The main one is going to be rifampin. But something like run-of-the-mill penicillin? There *are* anecdotes of people getting pregnant while taking antibiotics, but there's not good data that the risk of contraception failure is higher than it would be for someone NOT taking antibiotics. It seems to be about the same rate of failure as the rest of the population.

[@erinharness9428]

I've had doctors who seemed to want to do a good job, but some efficiency expert had decided that they can complete appointments in 10 minutes, and so they have no choice but to rush things. Particularly with telehealth, where an untrained patient has to explain their symptoms, ten minutes is not a lot of time to gather all the information, make a diagnosis, and counsel the patient about their treatment options. It's not surprising that they aren't able to screen and educate very well under these circumstances.

[@prettyevil6662000]

I feel like no one is ever warned about the antibiotic thing. It feels like something you learn from a family member or friend who's already got a baby from it, or at least had a scare and learned about it from that. I only knew about it because my sister had a scare while on antibiotics. And our mom is a nurse so she would have informed us if she'd known a doctor hadn't.

[@samanthah2226]

Most of the countries that do not offer over the counter birth control also have some form of universal health care.

[@emilwandel]

What no. Most of Europe had mostly universal healthcare. It is really hard to get over the counter meds. It is the political power the church has in these countries. It far outweighs their beliver numbers. My government is the first one in a long time where any minister swore an oath not on god.

[@Link-dx1lx]

That's a good point. I live in Germany and when I was taking the pill I never had an issue getting my prescription renewed. After being prescribed initially, I could just go into the doctor's office and talk to the receptionist to get a new prescription, I didn't have to see the doctor at all and therefore had no issues with not getting an appointment. Now idk how it is in other European countries, or australia, Canada and southern african countries. But I feel like this is such an easy solution to getting your prescription renewed. Though you would still need an appointment to get one int he first place

[@J0k394]

​@@Link-dx1lxin the Netherlands many GP's have a dedicated phone line you call for a repeat script, or you can ask your pharmacy for an automatic renewal, which means they'll send over the request for a repeat prescription to your GP to authorise. You just get a message when it's ready for pickup or it'll be delivered to you, if your pharmacy offers that.

[@Valdagast]

@Link-dx1lx In Sweden you can get your prescriptions renewed online. Takes a day or two.

[@costanzarosamongioi5989]

@@Link-dx1lx same in Italy, I just talk to my GP's secretary to get a new prescription. I only hated it because I don't like talking to people on the phone, but recently I discovered I can just email them with my requests, so yay!

[@catmamajazz]

As a woman with pcos, I'm thrilled that I can just buy this now instead of pestering my gyn. Those opposed to this need to consider those of us that have health condition reasons for using this. 😊

[@catmamajazz]

@KaleighCee I actually agree with you about the importance of info about it and making sure one is thoroughly informed. We are on the same page there. 😀 The only reason I know about the progestin only pill as much as I do is because it's the only one that works for me.

[@adish1401]

​@@KaleighCeethere appears to be a general lack of education about this kind of stuff. In my country I usually went to private clinics, where the doctors are doing their best to educate their patients on all this sort of stuff... And then I discovered that most people, even some who are well off and can afford a private clinic, use the regular government hospitals, and have no clue about half the stuff I thought was common knowledge I suppose my country and US work alike in that case, as in doctors are either underpayed or overworked, so they are not able to spend extra time with patients Except in my country the government hospitals are free and in the US everything is atrociouly overpriced

[@liralemur]

Oh, I know the feeling. I moved from a country where oral contraceptives are available without prescription (although as a responsible adult I obviously got them initially prescribed by an endocrinologist) to a country where I have to go to obgyn every 6 months to get a prescription, even though they are not even asking me how I am when writing it! And my PCOS is not going anywhere, dear government. It also happened several times that I went all the way to the clinic taking time off work just to see them being on vacation or something.

[@ga6589]

@@KaleighCee Every Rx drug comes with an info. insert that covers information and potential side-effects. It's up to the patient to read it and ask questions of either their doctor or pharmacist. I don't believe any information is being withheld.

[@dietotaku]

also consider the number of low-income women, who already can't afford a pregnancy/child anyway, who have no insurance and can't afford to see a doctor. so much of society is constantly trying to squeeze money out of people who have the least of it...

[@tommyegirl]

My 13 year old niece and her two brothers are being raised by my dad so she is the only girl in the house. These videos have helped me so much to have appropriate conversations with her about hygeine and puberty and sexual health. I feel really good about the information i give her so she can make good choices for her body. ❤❤❤

[@Palucu]

This is awesome

[@North_West1]

Hopefully the 2 of you can develop a trusting relationship and she can come to you for advice. Make a deal now with her dad - you are a trusted adult that can give advice/assistance to daughter without dad needing to know. Would allow open discussion without daughter being worried about you running and telling dad.

[@barefootgirl67]

@@North_West1 This is an awesome idea...I hope the dad would welcome that - he'd probably be thankful, right?

[@Visitkarte]

Better late than never.

[@Just1Nora]

Aunties are out here as the source of solid info and the confidant of nieces and nephews. The one it's comfortable to ask the hard or embarrassing questions. I love being an auntie. I'm glad you're one too. ❤

[@KariahBengalii]

I had a doctor that was trying to make me get a pap smear by threatening not to prescribe my birth control. I got a new doctor instead.

[@atrinoisa]

Mine tried this too. I told her straight up that I'm NOT getting a pap smear I don't need and if she doesn't prescribe me my birth control that I would find a new doctor. She changed her mind and prescribed it then. I take mine for PCOS because I would need a monthly blood transfusion without it. I think she knew I could actually fight her since my health would be in danger without it. It wasn't just a matter of "not getting pregnant".

[@kristinehansen.]

Good!

[@annareichelt5997]

Why would you not get a pap smear? I'm not from america, I'm from germany - genuine Question.

[@kellharris2491]

@@annareichelt5997 You don't always need your vagina examined. Yes there is examining for cervical cancer but they are mostly checking for stds. Often this checking can be excessive and not needed but it is pushed anyway.

[@kristinehansen.]

@@annareichelt5997 You have a point but no doctor shouldn't threatening denying to prescribe medications to force someone to get any tests. I get them whenever my doctor reminds me but I don't think anyone should be forced to do one.

[@teagan_p_999]

I like what BC has done recently. Pharmacists are able to write prescriptions for birth control and minor, acute illnesses, because we have such a shortage of family doctors. It's way easier to talk to a pharmacist than a doctor, but there's still a consultation with some kind of medical professional who can make sure people aren't unknowingly taking excessive risks.

[@complainer406]

She addresses this at about 19:05 She says it's a step in the right direction, but shouldn't be the end goal

[@earendil0888]

I love this! Ontario pharmacists can also write you a prescription for a number of ailments, but not for birth control. That seems like the main difference between ON and BC

[@JennaGetsCreative]

The rest of the provinces need to follow suit! Over here in NL 26% of the population doesn't have a doctor, doctors are leaving in droves, if you're lucky enough that your doctor just moves within the province you have to follow them to their new office because you're not replacing them, and if you're not in like 3 particular cities there's no walk-in clinic available. (And the walk-ins that are available are so overwhelmed with demand that you need to be in line outside 1-2 hours before they open to get a callback time.)

[@Vortexcube]

BC, particularly greater Vancouver, has the peculiar problem of having too many pharmacists, so it makes sense here. It might not make sense for pharmacists in other places

[@bluewrites2278]

It is the same in Alberta.

[@EyreAffair]

I have migraines with aura, and I remember my old OB/GYN cancelling my combined birth control prescription - without telling or informing me before she cancelled it - because "a new study showed that these pills could cause an increased risk of stroke". I didn't find out until I went to CVS to get a refill, only to be declined. I wasn't informed until I called her office. I was on vacation with my boyfriend at the time and sexually active. I had to rely on Plan B due to this.

[@jadecoolness101]

You could've used condoms though???

[@fatimaghailan6728]

Plan b isn't a replacement for birth control btw. It's quite dangerous to use more than once in a long while.

[@TziporaRaphaella]

Just curious. How long ago was this? I’m a queer woman with PCOS so thankfully not had any need to prevent pregnancy. I had such a rough go though of trying to treat my PCOS I haven’t actually been to a gyno in a good 12 years or so. I distinctly remember my gyn back than asking if I had aura with my migraines (and I had a history both of migraines with BC and migraine with aura in general) but I swear she just shoved like a low dose combo pill at me even after that discussion. So I’m curious when this study came out or became something ob/gyns were more broadly aware of. Super wonky the doc didn’t tell you directly. So many communication issues in healthcare though this is an interesting one because at least they were looking out for you? Sort of? Lol But what awful timing!

[@EyreAffair]

@@TziporaRaphaella It was several years ago now, I don't remember the exact year.

[@StormEyes1991]

@@EyreAffair Intentions good. Execution freaking terrible.

[@jfinney225]

a big issue that i foresee is that once hormonal birth control IS offered OTC, I see insurance companies saying they don't have to cover the cost of perscriptions if the same thing is offered OTC. Its happened to me so many times with other medications.

[@IsaRican810]

This is my concern as well.

[@japanesedinosaurs]

When I joined the army about 10 years ago, I had to stop taking my birth control (I had really bad acne). It blows my mind that I had to stop taking it. Also, side note, 4 females in my unit got pregnant before we graduated basic training.

[@madysonoster4759]

Wait...the army won't let you take BC? Like of any kind or just specific types? I don't understand why they would ever request or especially require that?

[@jerelull9629]

Funny, I checked with my wife who did Air Force basic in 1969. She was of the opinion that there was no *time* for getting it on during Basic training, Maybe-perhaps during later specialist training, when they had a little more freedom. As it happens, that's when she went on birth control at age 19, and stayed on BC for 40 years, stopping mainly to allow menopause to happen.

[@japanesedinosaurs]

I honestly don't remember if it was specifically because of the type or if it was because I took a daily pill and they didn't want to have to manage that while training. Or it could have been that this was 10 years ago and they had different standards. The Army training has gotten pretty weak over the last 10 years and it changed rapidly with the mental health awareness movement that has been sweeping the nation.@@madysonoster4759

[@ashleymc5599]

(specifically US branches, can't speak to other countries obvs, article is US specific)

[@earendil0888]

Ontario 🇨🇦 pharmacists can renew an existing birth control prescription for six months, which helps bridge the gap between doctors appointments or if you’re between doctors, which so many people here are. They can also prescribe you medication for a bunch of minor ailments. Hopefully birth control pills will be on that list one day.

[@danielleraso5419]

This seems like a much better solution to me!

[@AshlynnSmells]

We have that in British Columbia Canada as well!

[@MusikGirl23]

Yup some here in Manitoba too. I know for smoking cessation and non complex UTIs are a couple.

[@kristinehansen.]

Same in my country.

[@twocathome399]

that’s amazing!! my gynecologists was backed up with appointments for months and my prescription ran out. i went two months without it and the collapse of hormones was BRUTAL. i was sleeping so much and my heavy periods came back stronger than i remembered them 😭

[@EEE-ij8lv]

I got pregnant with my 3rd son while breastfeeding my 2nd (with a 5-month 100% breastmilk baby)....so, yeah, breastfeeding alone is NOT foolproof.

[@natalievancouver8188]

Breastfeeding is not a recommended form of birth control ever

[@nicolad8822]

You should have been told that! One of the first questions a new mother is asked in the UK is what will you be using for birth control.🤣

[@EEE-ij8lv]

@@nicolad8822 I wasn't "using it as birth control" but I had heard repeatedly that not having your cycle back due to breastfeeding does reduce the risk of pregnancy. It all worked out! I am glad to have my 3rd son. 😉

[@nicolad8822]

@@EEE-ij8lv What I meant was by having the discussion about birth control asap any misunderstandings can be knocked on the head. I have to say I have been amazed at how quickly some people get “active” after birth, my insides were draining for weeks, no thanks!🤣

[@marthahawkinson-michau9611]

One of my brothers is only 11 months younger than me. I have no idea if my mother was breast feeding me or not.

[@xxMissKarixx]

Not sure if you've ever done a video on this; are there any forms of birth control that work just as well for overweight/obese women? I feel like this just flat-out isn't talked about, by doctors or anyone else. Yes, the line is going to be "lose weight", but we live in the real world where even if someone is actively working to drop to a "normal" weight, that takes time. And whether some people believe it or not, fat people get into sexual relationships and need healthcare in regards to that. I'm overweight and have been my whole life, and I'm planning to get sterilized in the future, but it's really frustrating trying to find a method to bridge the gap between now and surgery because so many of them seem to fail in fat patients.

[@CraftyVegan]

I’ve never in my life been able to lose weight intentionally. The only time I’ve ever been able to drop anything (and it was only something like 10lbs) was when I was literally starving because I was working minimum wage and because rent has always been too damn high, the amount of food I was able to buy for me and my long term boyfriend (who worked at the same place I did) was barely enough to feed a toddler, let alone 2 actively working adults. Best guess at calories per person was probably 1,200-1,400 per day on average. Edit: Food per day usually looked like: Breakfast: a can of energy drink we stole from work Lunch: a second can of energy drink. Also stolen (or gotten for free during spring break from vendors) Dinner: one box of tuna helper (back before I stopped eating meat and dairy) split between the 2 of us.

[@carrieullrich5059]

If you can, try only eating organically grown food, and talk to your doctor about doing one to four minutes of burst exercises a week. Burst exercises burn off your fight or flight sugar reserve, and trigger your body's hormone response to burn fat for the next two days. Its the only way I lose weight as an adult. ❤ Food by nature not food by Monsanto and Dow chemical, and using your body's natural systems to help you. If you need to build muscle as well, regular cardio exercise for half an hour a couple days a week will be needed to tone muscle, but this triggers your body's hormone response to burn sugars for the next couple days. So you'll want a good exercise plan to get you healthy at a rate you can actually achieve without hurting yourself. ❤

[@meganmanson6488]

Good idea for a video.

[@gabrielbernard5440]

The minipills without estrogen, just with a gestagen/progesteron do work very well for overweight people. They do not have the negative effects that pills with estrogen have(higher risk of stroke and so on in overweight people), and if you forget it for a day, if you continue taking it for 3 days, it is safe again for having intercourse, not so with the estrogen containing pills. You can also take these without break, they are also used to treat PCOs and similiar problems. If you take them without break, your period will lighten and often totally go away, which is a miracle thing for people with heavy, long periods. I myself have only experience with Desogestrel. Some people have said they get tired from taking it, but then they also have it taken for only a month or so, so I am not sure if it is really the pills fault or if something else played into it. But as I was told, it also takes care of mood swings and is sometimes prescribed as a mood enhancer. I am sure you can imagine that not having heavy periods and mood swings because of your hormonal chaos is a big mood enhancer.

[@PinkRose0910]

Isn’t that why people use condoms? Otherwise if in a long term relationship where neither of you want children the man can get a vasectomy.

[@AshleighMoro]

I literally just had my bc pills held for MONTHS because my doctor had to reschedule an already rescheduled appointment and i ended up having to see a different doctor in the end. I have PCOS and was on a progesterone only pill to regulate everything because it was hell without it. I had to go see my GP and he got it filled within hours after I fighting with insurance and the obgyn office for weeks. It's wild and it's ridiculous.

[@gabrielbernard5440]

Damn, I know how awful and dangerous PCOS can be, I am glad you are back on your meds now

[@IAmNotATomato]

I had to go without for a month bc my doc refused to RX me 13 refills and would only give me 12. By the time the 12th refill rolled around I still had a month and a half to go before I could get another 12 month supply. 28 days x 12 months = I’m one month short but I was told nothing could be done except use condoms.

[@april4657]

As someone who left retail pharmacy a year ago after 8 years as a tech, THANK YOU for saying that pharmacists do not have the resources to be prescribing birth control. So many pharmacists/techs are on the brink of leaving pharmacy due to burn out.

[@sarah2.017]

I'm a pharmacist, and I'm very opposed to OTC birth control. I also remember how the press said that European women loved Norplant and Essure (among other things) and those didn't work out so well, at least not on this side of the pond.

[@animeartist888]

I have much respect for my pharmacists. They end up answering the questions and assuaging the fears that my doctor didn't have time for, and I've found their advice to be generally quite sound.

[@jahbern]

@@sarah2.017I have a friend whose life was devastated by Essure. But is it fair to compare Essure to a drug that we have been using for decades? We have a solid safety profile for hormonal birth control, along with pretty convincing research for OTC use. We certainly couldn’t say the same about Essure. That was a profit-driven nightmare.

[@bunnybaker2289]

All of these hoops are why I have an IUD. Also I don’t want to risk forgetting to take birth control, not ready for kids. I still think the pill should be over the counter because IUD isn’t optimal for or desired by everyone

[@madysonoster4759]

I will DIE on this hill. The ring, the ring, the ring. While the pharmacists told me some upper respiratory infection antibiotics can make it less effective (Which is true for MOST contraceptives unfortunately.) your basic ones like amoxicillin and most UTI meds won't affect it. It gets changed monthly and the time of day does not matter, so no need to take a pill every day at the same time. You can choose to either have a period or not, and that choice does not have to be permenant (I have two a year because none a year is inadvisable but technically possible.). The hormonal birth controls my friends used make them have mental breakdowns, heavier/more painful periods and for two of them it gave them cystic acne. This brith control works differently and is far far far less hormonal (which made it the only option for me as my hormones were already outta wack due to my periods.). All that, AND no painful insertions! It slides in like a tampon, so no minor surgeries or excruciating pain necessary!

[@sarah2.017]

@@madysonoster4759 Unfortunately, I have also heard that Nuvaring's hormones can cause a female version of roid rage, and that the women who experience it (thankfully, a very low percentage but more than I've heard from other methods) are completely oblivious to their aberrant behavior. We're talking about women being clueless why they lost their jobs, had the police called on them by neighbors, their husbands are preparing to leave and take the kids with him, etc.

[@WrenGirl]

A) my pill (for period prevention due to medical reasons, not for birth control) is VERY picky about timing! If I forget or even take it 2 or more hours late, my brain summons every scary and depressing thought on the planet. Not good, but better than having a period. B) Though the pill over the counter is for contraception, I hope it will help give people who are negatively impacted by periods a better life.

[@jadecoolness101]

The pill was originally invented to help with horrible periods, contraception was just a side effect.

[@WrenGirl]

@@jadecoolness101 Wow I didn't know that! Cool!

[@GoBlueGirl78]

Yes! IIRC, it was technically invented for contraception, but because of the Comstock Laws & religious opposition, it was first indicated (& marketed) for "menstrual regulation." It wasn't until the early 60s the FDA approved the contraception indication.

[@regulusmasamuneryuku8657]

I have the same issue. It was infuriating when I had periods that I only had a week of feeling okay. Im also terrible at taking medication everyday, let alone at the same time everyday. Really glad my insurance paid for Nexplanon (the arm insert.)

[@animeartist888]

My pill is super picky, too! I only have about an hour of grace window before I'll start a period early with all the awful period symptoms that I used to have before I started taking the pills.

[@anastrixnoodles]

I am surprised it wasn't already over-the-counter. In Romania we have all of them over-the-counter. I don't think there is any prescription one... Here we have simple and combined pills over-the-counter. And I was thinking that it's not fair they aren't free (covered by national insurance), so they can be more accessible for everyone (even though they aren't too expensive), meanwhile US, doesn't have them over-the-counter at all, this is wild. I am surprised to see how US is so behind, compared to Europe, at so many essential things. EDIT: they are prescription based in Romania too, but the pharmacists know not to ask for it for contraceptives because it doesn't make sense to get it monthly just to continue a treatment especially considering that women go to doctor periodically for consultations.

[@schrodingerskatze4308]

In Germany you also have to go to a doctor for the pill, it's not everywhere that easy. And I absolutely hate it because it would help me so much with my periods but I'm really anxious about doctors and I just can't find one I trust enough to go. I wish it would be easier to get one, but every time you talk about this you only here "No, we shouldn't give them away like candy, let's make it harder to get them".

[@hopejohnson6347]

@@schrodingerskatze4308 depending on where you live, you can more or less easily cross the border and get them over the counter in most former eastern block countries. I know for a fact they're available OTC in Ukraine, as OP pointed out - Romania and I think Croatia and Bulgaria as well... so depending on where you go for vacation, you could stock up for 1-2 years there.

[@schrodingerskatze4308]

@@hopejohnson6347 If I had the time and money to go there for a vacation and stock up. I'm a student, so it's a bit difficult to do that. Going to a doctor would certainly be easier if it wasn't for my fear of doctors. I just don't trust most of them.

[@imitb_0696]

I also live in Romania, I went to my pharmacist to fill my BC prescription once, all was fine the second month I forgot to take the prescription from the OB I went to the same pharmacy as the first time, and they didn’t want to give me my medication…. So new I ask my GP to fill it for like six months😊 just to be safe. I live in Cluj-Napoca btw… don’t know haw it is in the other cities

[@JEDonnert]

Yeah, I hate this country...

[@StaraptorEagle]

I shouldn’t have to talk to a doctor to get birth control. I hate going to the doctor and absolutely hate being touched, so I’m glad there’s finally an OTC!!

[@loiscassels8966]

If you hate being touched, why do you need birth control?🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@gizmoenterprises3467]

As someone who had severe reactions to BC, I disagree. I think initially on any BC you should be talking and following up with a doctor the first 6 months, after that period I don't think you should need another appointment other than a physical every 2 years minimum.

[@Kyiecutie]

@@gizmoenterprises3467 I’ve had reactions to over the counter meds before and I personally don’t think that other people should be denied access to them. It’s the same concept. Just because I have negative side effects and can’t tolerate Tylenol and most OTC decongestants doesn’t mean everybody else in the US shouldn’t have access to them.

[@amandajones661]

​@@gizmoenterprises3467 just because some people use cold medicine for meth doesn't mean it should be prescribed. --- Your allergy shouldn't make it harder for the rest to get help.

[@animak757]

I'm from Spain and even when in the map shows as BC isn't over the counter that's not fully true. You can get it whithout any prescription but it will be more expensive than with a prescription because prescripted medications are partially covered by national healthcare

[@Jillianrc]

This was the topic I chose a few years back for a series of speeches I had to do for a communication course at Texas A&M University (a pretty conservative area of TX). I couldn’t believe that the majority of my classmates selected that they disagreed with me and nothing would change their views on the topic. I cited many of the studies in this video. You can’t use logic and reason to combat stupidity. Also the fact that someone’s speeches were literally on abolishing seatbelt laws and my classmates could get behind that. Good times.

[@lynnrolaf7422]

The only thing that worries me is the price for BC once sold over the counter. I would hope that pharmaceutical Co. would keep the insurance price for BC say $10 per month because they would reach many many more women.

[@blaireshoe8738]

Even $10 a month is a lot for something so necessary (speaking as someone who takes it for a medical condition, the birth control aspect just being an amusingly large side effect). Agreed that it could be a real problem very easily.

[@emilwandel]

My insurance never paid

[@nicolad8822]

@@blaireshoe8738 Contraception is free in the UK, but £10 is about our normal prescription price. CAD$10 doesn’t seem that bad?

[@jerelull9629]

There was a time in the '70s when my sexually-active lady friends could hardly have afforded $10/mo. Starving students and all.

[@jerelull9629]

Free is good. Too bad that states like Texas exist who don't think beyond their bigotry and control issues.

[@nikkielizabeth7026]

The hypothetical example I thought of was: community day giving free motorcycle helmets away as part of a local motorcycle safety campaign. A teen pulls up in her car to get a helmet. She says she's relieved, her old helmet has a crack, and she doesn't know how well it would hold up in a crash. The volunteer asks, "Were you wearing a seatbelt when you drove here?" When the teen answers that she wasn't, she is told she can't get a free helmet.

[@kellyyork3898]

No Viagra for fat, old men who do not come in for their routine checkups and tests…especially tests for STDs.

[@North_West1]

😳 sounds like a good time to have a 2 min conversation about importance of wearing seat belt.

[@MusikGirl23]

I think a reasonable mix between requiring a prescription and just having them openly available would be to put them behind the counter so that you have to have a brief consult or check with your other meds by a pharmacist or tech, but still be able to access them without a doctor. Having Turner syndrome, I rely on BC pills for my heart and bone health in particular, and will be on them for 15-20+ years more, as I am 33.

[@SnowFamilyVacations]

The other example of when we withhold prescriptions to make clients do annual exams is in the case of getting contacts which is really annoying when you just need to order more contacts.

[@rachelatwater7576]

Yes as a contact wearer it’s annoying having to go back every year, when my prescription is still the same as when I first got my contacts.

[@jerelull9629]

Yup, that contacts hold was a real problem to my wife. She didn't change prescriptions, but an eye-doctor friend said it was at least partly to scan for eye diseases, sorta-kinda a CYA.

[@princessdollyllama]

Order from UK No prescription required. I live in CA and have done this for years. So cheap.

[@riviell]

I'm spiritual, raise conservative Christian, I believe in personal pro-birth, but world-wide pro-choice (I'd have a surprise/'unwanted' baby, but that's MY belief and I can't force that on others), and I need/take birth control for my PCOS that tries to destroy my life once a month.

[@youiswhoyouis3304]

Thank you! We have different political views, but I, too, would probably not have an abortion (I'd never say never) if I got pregnant unexpectedly. This does not mean that I think abortion should be hypothetically pushed over other options or made illegal for others. True factually educated and community supported pro-choice.

[@MamaDoctorJones]

yep - that is just pro-choice my friend :) your choice is just that you wouldn't choose termination based on your current circumstances & beliefs.

[@MamaDoctorJones]

yep - that is just pro-choice my friend :) your choice is just that you wouldn't choose termination based on your current circumstances & beliefs.

[@SkwithOv]

long way to say you're pro choice, and that your choice would be to keep it

[@claritey]

Even women who intentionally got pregnant and badly wanted a child sometimes have to seek abortion because not all pregnancies are viable. They find out there is something horribly wrong with the fetus such as it not having a brain or missing multiple vital organs and they are trying to avoid carrying it to term just for the newborn to suffer horribly for a few hours and die. I see it as no different than turning off life support on a child who is brain dead but that's not nearly as controversial for some reason.

[@juliav.mcclelland2415]

It's impossible not to joke about any stats for "average number of people..." that ends in a fraction.

[@starrywizdom]

Back when I could actually get pregnant, I always lived within walking distance of a Planned Parenthood until I was able to afford a car. This is why ADD & Bipolar me, who even now has trouble staying on her thyroid hormones, blood pressure meds, & SSRIs because of the hoops the medical system makes her jump through to keep getting her prescriptions renewed, never EVER had a gap with prescribed hormonal birth control when I wanted to be on them. The only gaps were when I had my (planned) child, & when I wanted to try other methods (Diaphragm -- horribly painful! I literally can't pee with it in & waiting an hour after sex, so I can take the diaphragm out, before peeing means I get a UTI every time I have sex. That's a hard NO. Female condom -- I loved it but it totally freaked out my partners. Maybe I just needed better partners?) between using hormonal birth control. Maybe there aren't as many Planned Parenthoods anymore, which would be a DAMN SHAME. I might have stopped HBC if it had been over the counter, because I had weird issues with it that I needed to get medical advice about & the friendly Nurse Practitioner at my local Planned Parenthood was WAY easier to ask about spotting & sex drive changes than the Pharmacists at the drug stores where I was picking up other meds at the time & where I likely would have gotten OTC HBC... I'm not saying HBC shouldn't be OTC, I'm saying there NEED to be Planned Parenthoods in walking distance of every person who can get pregnant & can't afford a car. MAKE IT SO.

[@JessieBanana]

Personally I feel like doctors barely screen you anyway for it, so why not. I’ve been on birth control since I was 13 because of dysmenorrhea and most doctors pretty much give what you ask. They ask about smoking and blood clotting, which as she pointed out is easy to self screen for.

[@arinbarth6443]

I absolutely hate as a trans person and as a queer person I'm required to get a painful, invasive pelvic exam in order to get access to my birth control. I'm not sexually active and have been told many times that an annual pelvic isn't necessary unless I'm having symptoms, and I find them to be very physically and emotionally painful. I've had so many negative experiences with OBGYNs as a trans person that I prefer to just get BC over telehealth with planned parenthood rather than seeing an OBGYN.

[@nicolad8822]

I NEVER had to have an exam for any birth control in the UK. Or during pregnancy until I actually went into labour.

[@tinkeramma]

The current recommendation for cervical cancer screenings is once every 3 years if no history of abnormal results and no family history. If it's safe to change from once a year to once every 3 years, why on earth should we need yearly visits for a piece of paper to take to the pharmacy?

[@jessicar2609]

Pelvic exams are not legally required to dispense birth control! Doctors should not be strongarming you into an exam you don't want just to get birth control.

[@Blueell]

Where do you live? I live in Georgia in the US and have been on birth control since I was 14 for endometriosis and I have had to get exams before my surgeries (insurance requirement) but I don’t think I’ve ever in a decade been told I had to have an exam to get my prescription.

[@reizak8966]

I always just opt out of that part. I'm sorry you've had to deal with that.

[@raksrulesaks]

I have severe PCOS. It’s bad. Since I was 10 I’ve had it. I’m 23 now. Birth control is a literal godsend for me as before it, I was bleeding for up to 2 weeks sometimes, mostly between 28 days but if I was getting stressed at school or bullied (which happened a lot bc of how my body changed due to PCOS) I could get my period as close together as 15 days. The cramps are awful too and just yeah. PCOS absolutely sucks!!! I’ve switched endos 7 times (finally found one who is respectful, kind, understanding, and listens to what I’m saying) and the worst one I have would withhold my birth control until I lost five pounds from the last time I saw her. Yeah. I was a healthy weight BMI wise and body composition wise but she wanted me skinnier bc according to her fat was the cause of PCOS and if I had no fat, I’d be PCOS free. Needless to say I would go 6 months without my BC and eventually had my PCP prescribe me my meds so I could stop getting sick. I developed an ED from this doctor and the fact she deletes reviews from patients talking about how her clinic forces ED nonsense on patients is sick. I’m on a specialized BC today that won’t qualify for this bill (but my endo is amazing and services like Nurx really help) but I’m happy this is finally an option. It gives people with any need for Bc autonomy and independence from a broken system, where there’s no guarantee you’ll have a doc who can help you.

[@NeurodiverCeline]

It is mind boggling to see how this works in the U.S. I belong to a country where it is ‘prescribed only’ (The Netherlands). However one of the reasons why that is, is council on the type of birth control would fit you life the best. Considering the reason of taking birth control, the likelihood of missing pills, willingness to still have your ‘period’/in-between bleeding, etc.. Other reason is to have the insurance pay. In the Netherlands it is FREE for everyone till the age of 21, due to the fact that it is covered in the basic health insurance (and health insurance is mandatory and subsidised by the government for low income households). Since I had my prescription at the age of 14, I NEVER needed to explain to the doctor again why I need it. I just have to order a refill at the pharmacy. (Which is just in an app.) Which is just to make sure you get the correct one, and for the pharmacy to keep track of where they need to claim their money.. It is soooooooo close to just being over the counter. The closest time I was to being denied was during a country wide shortage, which mend I just got less strips, compared to the amount for a year I usually get. Seeing how people in the U.S. need to fight for this so badly, is mental..

[@jaclynchilds1627]

Just to note: I live in Canada in British Columbia. We have changed things a bit so pharmacists have some more abilities and can actually prescribe birth control now. We also recently made it free! I hope things follow for the rest of Canada.

[@jerelull9629]

Lucky British Columbians!

[@elisharoberts1029]

I wish it was available over the counter. I get needing to confirm I'm not already pregnant, but give me access to free/inexpensive blood hcg testing(I'm a fun one and get negative urine test results even when I'm 3 months pregnant), and I'll do said testing myself before starting birth control. I've definitely been the patient who needs birth control, but didn't have insurance, or had it, but couldn't afford the deductible for the Rx portion of my insurance. I ended up pregnant 4 times because of this. I wanted all of my babies, but wasn't always in the best relationship or financial position to have said baby. My body miscarried all of them, which was devastating to myself and my partners.

[@gabbysilverwood]

Oh honey.

[@elisharoberts1029]

Gotta say I'm super excited for this to be a thing as I'm allergic to latex and currently uninsured. I've been in a monogamous relationship for almost a decade and we're currently currently using only non- latex condoms, which has been working for us, but the cost goes way up for those vs latex versions. Also condoms smell, and create waste we'd prefer to avoid. I'm 40, so I'm not looking to be pregnant again, but given my family history can't be in HRT, so I am avoiding a hysterectomy like the plague.

[@CollaborativeDog]

Tubal ligation might be an option? I knew I never wanted children and didn't want to take hormonal BC, so I got my tubes tied at 29.

[@elisharoberts1029]

@CollaborativeDog I need a hysterectomy because of my PCOS and Endometriosis, so long as my organs remain I'm in agony with the symptoms unless I'm on bc which prevents ovulation.

[@sallyintucson]

I’m allergic to latex too. I went to a dermatologist appointment once that had THREE different papers I signed saying I was allergic to latex. The doctor came in and put on latex gloves. I asked her why I had to fill out all that paperwork if she didn’t bother to read it. I didn’t go back. 🙄

[@elisharoberts1029]

@sallyintucson girl I've had that happen so many times. I was pregnant, and my dentist used latex gloves in my mouth for a cavity filling. He had to drill out the filling because it had latex in it, and then I was like, wait, I smell latex. Are your gloves Fucking latex? He was like I'm so sorry. He changed gloves, but my face was so swollen even the benadryl they gave me didn't work. I drove home after and got to tell my work I was taking the rest of the day off to go to the ER. They were so mad. They actually sent him a bill for the hours I missed, and he paid it. He felt bad, but there was no way I'd ever go back. I donate plasma and the number of times I've had to stop them from using latex or iodine despite the big warning flashing on my machine astounds me. Part of me wants to tattoo my allergies to my forehead.

[@elisharoberts1029]

@OverbiteGames luckily I've only got a few food allergies, but yeah, it's hard. I read labels religiously and am always extra cautious if the packaging changes or it says new formula/recipe somewhere on it. I found out I was allergic to latex in the worst, most embarrassing way... I was barely 18, and my partner used a condom. My allergic reaction included lots of swelling, and he was stuck. I had to get a ride to the ER from his roommate, who was also my ex bf(we dated for 2 months in high school). We'd barely kissed, so that ride was awkward AF. Somehow, he was awesome and brought us both a full set of clothes, so we wouldn't be naked when our parents showed up to bring us home. A few months later, I enrolled in college. In my lab classes we had to use gloves. There was a huge lecture about not using the non latex gloves unless you had a Dr's note, but my Dr was a jerk who refused to indicate my allergy. After a week of my hands being red and itchy, my teacher personally updated my records, and I got to use non latex gloves through graduation.

[@MadDbee]

Parts of Canada are allowing pharmacists to prescribe for a bunch of medication like for UTIs, STIs, birth control, allergy, and more. It’s a good middle ground where it’s accessible to the general public but through a pharmacists who already has the ability to prescribe in certain situations. Basically their “scope” is increasing to lighten the burden on our primary care system

[@amarie9098]

I went to my PCP to ask about birth control when I was 20 because I was having cramps so bad that I'd spend several hours, sometimes days, vomiting each month, which was making college way harder than it needed to be. My PCP told me I was awfully old to have not gotten pregnant yet and that cramps are my body's way of punishing me for not getting pregnant like I should at my age. I have a new PCP now who seems great, but I'm still scared to mention that I get birth control from an app instead of getting pregnant like I "should."

[@jerelull9629]

I hope you have a different PCP now.

[@rchlh]

In Bulgaria and Greece, birth control can be bought over the counter. My best friend is from Bulgaria and was surprised when in France she needed to get a prescription for it, and for me - I ran out of my birth control in Greece, and was easily able to replace it at a pharmacy.

[@rchlh]

@@Bunnylovescoffee I honestly don't know! But I've only ever heard of the combination pill here in Europe (currently in Turkey, where you need a scrip but it's easy to get)

[@somuchpepper]

I'm in Portugal, same. I mean, if you get a prescription it's cheaper, but even without, it's not prohibitive (most pills are less than €10 a month, a few years ago when I used the Nuvaring it was around €11/month). If for some reason i had to go to a doctor (private or public health one) I'd ask for like a 3 or 6 month prescription just so I could get it cheaper for some time. AND, if you are actually struggling and can't pay for even that, you can just go to the public family planning office and they have a few brands available for free. Or if you have internet access - which is common enough even with low income people - just fill a "prescription refill request" online. As soon as you get it prescribed once, that is not an issue. Couple of days and you get the prescription on your phone and/or email). I got the damn implant for free even though unfortunately I didn't get on with it. I would go insane if I had to deal with the sort of shit americans do. The biggest issue atm is that a lot of medications (not just related to BC) are sold out everywhere, but it's a different problem.

[@maryg6742]

For the self-screening tool checklist, it feels like an online quiz would solve the confusion. Like, on a scale of 1 to 4 how much of an issue would this be. And then at the end, they's give you the birth control options and their effectiveness. Bonus points if you add a More Information section where they cover the birth control options not recommended and why.

[@msjossi1035]

I live in Sweden where we also don't have otc birth control. However, if you are under 20-25 (depends on your region). Birthcontrol is free, the visit to the doctor where they take your blood pressure and ask necessary questions are free. Many regions have a cost limit of 100 sek (~10 usd) per year for birth control, any kind. I don't support otc here because it is not necessary. But with the expenses of healthcare in the US nothing makes more sense than having it otc.

[@SilverstreamPJ28]

It's crazy to me that the US requires a prescription for birth control. In my country I go in and purchase whichever pill I desire. It's common for women to decide which pill to take with their OBGYN, just so you make sure you're taking the best combination of hormones for your body. But then you just purchase it.

[@nicolad8822]

It requires a prescription because it is a medication which has side effects and is not suitable for all. If you are taking what a Dr recommends that is essentially a prescription though?

[@eleanoreliz]

@@nicolad8822 It isn't essentially a prescription though. Your doctor could recommend you try Prilosec for your heartburn. Or Claritin for your allergies. That does not make Prilosec or Claritin essentially a prescription. (Claritin did start as prescription only in the US, I don't know about Prilosec. You can also still get at least Prilosec as a prescription, dunno about Claritin, if your insurance will cover medications that are also available OTC but many will not). "Drugs a doctor recommends to you" are still materially different from "prescription only medications," i.e. drugs only available to you with a doctors' prescription.

[@henrysmith180]

@@nicolad8822 Doctors recommend OTC medications all the time, like Tylenol, Advil, etc. but they're not prescription medications

[@GoBlueGirl78]

@@nicolad8822 You could say the same thing about OTC medications. There's no good reason OCs require a prescription.

[@SilverstreamPJ28]

@@nicolad8822 it's not a prescription because I don't need a piece of paper to purchase it. nothing stops me from going to the pharmacy and buying whatever pill I wish.

[@wintergarden7539]

When I was a young woman, there was no access to the information that's available today via online. We had to rely on 1-2 OB/GYN's to provide effective birth control. My doctor failed over and over. I spent many years agonizing and having NO way to research what worked best for me. Thank you Dr. Mama....for the younger generations.

[@susanheld]

Glasses/contact prescriptions are also withheld in the US (but not in many other countries) in order to force people into yearly screenings. And vision insurance is often separate from your already-expensive regular health insurance, if your employer even offers it. So fun!!

[@seanathanbeanathan]

Didn't you know? Teeth and eyes are luxury organs (This is a joke, if I don't laugh I may cry)

[@nicolad8822]

What a con!

[@shamelesslykristen]

my doctor left her practice and went to a new office and the amount of hoops I have to jump through just to get a refill for my anxiety meds to tide me over until I can see her in person is horrendous 😅

[@ffaf295]

Thank you for explaining how the different BC pills actually work. I’ve been on them since I was 14 (now 29), and no one has ever taken the time to describe what it’s actually doing to my body/ how it works to prevent pregnancy. In all honesty , that self assessment just brought to my attention something that was never asked , and I’ll now inquire about (migraine with aura). Thank you!

[@christinewalker7242]

I have migraine with aura and need to be on some form of BC due to a health condition. I don’t take the pill anymore due to the migraines, I have an IUD due to both the lower dose and direct application area. It is progesterone only, so unlike the combined pill which has oestrogen that can make aura migraines worse, it doesn’t contribute to that medical issue. I would encourage you to do your own research and talk to a medical professional though before making any changes.

[@jagirl966]

This reminds me. Last month, I got my prescription from the pharmacy and the assistant asked me, "Do you have kids?". When I answered "no", he said, "Guess this stuff is working". I complained on the survey because I was too pissed to go in and complain in-person and hope that kid (he seemed about 20, at the oldest) got told off about assuming someone's medication.

[@Dorfkind-zm4xi]

Why are you so sensitive? He was just making a joke. Grow up.

[@jagirl966]

@@Dorfkind-zm4xi he wasn't. I talked with the pharmacist today. He's been pulling that on all customers and has been fired for harassment and inappropriate behavior. I was told I was the 10th complaint that very day.

[@seanathanbeanathan]

​@@Dorfkind-zm4xi Part of a joke is knowing your audience. That's not something you can really do as a pharmacist.

[@jagirl966]

@@seanathanbeanathan exactly.

[@amandamcquade1272]

💖🧡👩‍⚕️👑 Thank you for powering through that complex presentation, Dr. Jones 🫡. I am in menopause and post-hysterectomy (extensive, intrusive and long-term uterine fibroids) but I watch to learn, and be better informed when advocacy for my sisters is required...as it so often is! 😮🗽⚖️🖖🌟👊💪 Thanks also for your Community post about support to Maui fire victims. My small donation was made in your honor. Respect! 🫡And Mahalo! 👩‍⚕️🕯🌈🧡💖🌏🌍🌎

[@olivergregory5093]

I'm a trans man and was using birth control to stop my periods early on in my transition (not for contraception, my spouse already had a vasectomy at the time). I got near the end of my prescription and reached out to my doctor to write a new one; he said he wouldn't until I came in for an annual screening (essentially to make sure I did so). Having the birth control held hostage was an extremely annoying, humiliating, exasperating experience, especially because I did end up having a period before I could get in to see him, and at the time I hadn't had a period in so long that I didn't have any tampons, only some pads I'd left in the back od my bathroom somewhere, and I didn't have panties anymore, just boxers, which won't support a pad easily. I'm also not someone who has a chronic problem with missing annual exams -- doctor, dentist, eye doctor, gyn, I do all of them every year. It felt very degrading and condescending to me

[@olivergregory5093]

@@Kris-ib8sn he doesn't make me come in every few months to get a new prescription, he only did in that time "because you won't get your annual exam otherwise" lol

[@heatherfeather1293]

America - "Don't have abortions!" Also America: "You can't have birth control pills unless you pay out the @$$ to see a doctor, and then pay again for the prescription" Get me the F out of here

[@honeybee7855]

Because hormones aren't sweeties and they can actually be dangerous when taken incorrectly. It's kinda appropriate to have some level of medical guidance when taking them

[@juliabrito04]

I didn't know that you needed a prescription to buy birth control pills int the US. That's a bit weird, I think. I'm brazilian and just bought a pack with enough pills for 3 months. And STILL scheduled a consultation with my gyno. Thats how we do it here and I don't think people stop going to the doctor because they can easily buy the pill. Not saying everyone goes to the doctor, obvs.

[@suzbone]

Millions of American women don't have health insurance, and the gyno visit + labwork for an annual wellness check costs hundreds. Many Americans go years and years without seeing a doctor, much less get wellness checkups. 😢

[@Stoffmonster467]

​@@suzbonemaybe a modern health care system would solve a lot of problems?

[@juliabrito04]

@@suzbone that's so sad!

[@vcutler4735]

Make routine screening less horrific and then you won't have to use holding bc pills hostage as a way to get people in the door. Also considering how I answered like 5 questions online and got a bc pill rx like... we're already really close to otc bc.

[@beezilneverleft3176]

What is horrific about it? What would a non-horrific screening be like? And I ask this as someone who has gone almost yearly for over 30 years. To men and women; doctors, PAs and nurses. It's all just quick and routine. Really, NO type of physical is FUN, if you think about it.

[@andrewhaywood3853]

The Land of the Free withholds routine prescriptions in order to dictate attendance at invasive medical procedures. Wow. I bet you’re all glad you don’t live in China where they force the population to do things...........wait.......what’s the difference?

[@andrewhaywood3853]

@@beezilneverleft3176 I’m in the U.K., and the kind of exams you have in the USA are unnecessary, to the point of creepy and perverted. Here women only go to see a doctor with their breasts if they find an abnormality - ie. a lump or a puckering of the skin. Women over 50 are called in every 3 years for a mammogram done by machine. A female nurse may position the boob in the machine, but unless a lump is found it will not be handled by a professional. If a woman doesn’t have or suspect breast cancer she will go her whole life without having her boobs felt (or groped by) by a doctor, because it is not necessary. A smear test (pap) is done on its own, no other pelvic or vaginal exam at the same time because the smear with the speculum is bad enough on its own, and they have trouble convincing women to come and have them every three years in the U.K. as it is. I’ve seen a training video for a “routine” women’s pelvic exam in America and it was horrendous - the doctor was in the vagina three or four times for different exams, including the vaginal wall and the ovaries (through the vagina!?? 🤮) and in the anus once! I mean WTF!! It is incredibly invasive in the US, and I’m gobsmacked that any woman would go and have a pelvic exam of her own free will there. All of that is unnecessary unless you know you have a problem, and any kind of reproductive genital/urinary symptoms are horrible and unmissable and so people soon go if they need to. British women would have to have a womb prolapse or cancer before they would put up with that amount of poking about!

[@jessicar2609]

​@@beezilneverleft3176there are some doctors that require pelvic exams before they administer BC (which is actually not required, and is sketchy when doctors do this). That keeps people from going to the doctor and getting the medication they need.

[@Taylor23890]

@@beezilneverleft3176I’ve had one bad experience when a doctor removed the speculum , it felt as if my whole insides were being pulled out . I can’t forget that pain and I always remember it when I have a screening

[@frost6272]

I’m a veterinarian, and I argue with my colleagues ALL THE TIME about access to heartworm preventatives for people that cannot get their animals in for yearly heartworm testing. The risk for animals that are positive taking heartworm preventatives is low. As long as people understand the risk it is up to them to make decisions about their pets care. It is unethical to withhold medications just because people don’t do testing that is recommended. All I need is the yearly visit to establish state required relationship for prescribing. It’s so frustrating that there are no over the counter options. Same concept, same results - suffering because of stupid policies.

[@Bastet674]

I was on the pill till my doctor found something happening that was the reason for her taking me off them and switching me to the depo shot. Was prescribed the pill for acne and heavy flow periods. Wasn’t sexually active when I was prescribed the pills.

[@lina9535]

Sweden is prescription only, BUT we have very easily available healthcare. So even if you'd need a prescription, it's very easy to get one. I saw my gyno recently to renew my prescription, and we did a quick screening together (first time I'd met her, so that's standard for how they work here). We also talked about which ones I've taken in the past, how the current ones are working for me, etc. Like the woman I saw earlier, she told me that I'll do much better with mini-pills (I'd taken Jaz previously, the ones I take now are called Slinda), because of my PCOS and the family history of heavy/painful periods. Also that I can get an IUD anytime I want, if I don't want to take the pills anymore, which my new one also agreed on. But I can't say for certain why we don't have over the counter versions. If I had to guess, I'd say that it's because it's so easy to get anyway.

[@lulu_0116]

I absolutely love your videos. Your language is straightforward yet sophisticated as to educate uterus havers. The world needs more people like you thanks for being amazing ❤

[@bibliocharylodis]

The only time you may even think about holding a vital medication like this hostage, is if the associated visit to the doctor is free, your employer is legally required to give you paid time off to visit this doctor and it's culturally accepted to do so. The US fails on all 3 of those pre-requisites. But even then, it should be possible to get an "emergency" 1 month supply OTC - because we all know, people forget to make appointments in time. (Here, I could usually get a year worth of prescriptions before I needed to see the doc again, but doctor visits are free and employer is legally required to give you paid time off. I never tried, but I could probably have gotten a 1 month prescription from the company physician [big companies often have in-house general practitioners] to tide me over.) [I had to get off the (mini)pill because it was making me suicidal, something that I didn't even know was a rare-ish but potential side-effect.]

[@kat_________________]

I am so happy to have a gynecologist like Mama Doctor Jones. All facts and no bias. These women are incredible. ❤

[@esthervanstapele7244]

In the chart The Netherlands are grey, so for who would want to know: When you first start hormonal birthcontrol you need a prescription from your doctor. After that, you can renew that prescription yourself without your doctor so it becomes over the counter. You still have to go to the pharmacy to get it though. Up to the age of 21 it is covered by health care, after that it can also be covered but then it depends on the type of health care you have (meaning that you pay more for the health care to have more things covered). I think for most people our system works well and is easily accessible, but I do know people who've made choices based on price rather than best fit for them, which in my opinion means changes should be made to prevent this.

[@jodyyamada3726]

As a pharmacist who has worked in the retail environment, I appreciate this so much!

[@jenniferwells2291]

In Texas I have had my bc pills held hostage because you have to have the "well woman exam" annually. I am on disability and in my county we don't have gynos really, just obs. And none of them will accept Medicare. It is believed by them if you are on Medicare you must not be having a baby do to age so they don't want you as a patient. I had one office be surprised that at the time I called them I was still in my 30s. But they still went ahead and cancelled my appointment and quit accepting Medicare. Back then it was $90 to go to Planned Parenthood and I did not have the money. $90 is a lot of money when you only receive $700 a month. There is no reason bc pills shouldn't be available over the counter. Women are not simple minded twits who need some man to tell them if it's ok to not get pregnant. Even the Catholic church didn't really have an issue with condoms, it wasn't until the pill came along in the 60s that they became anti birth control. Ok for men to have their fun with no consequence but not for women. I use the combo pill because it was the only thing that kept me from getting my period every month which does serious damage to my physical and mental health every month. No reason it shouldn't be OTC as well. At 46 I still use it but it no longer stops the periods. I tried to talk to a regular doctor about switching to the progesterone only but he didn't know what progesterone was... I had another say he refused to write scripts for the pill because it was against his religion.

[@kpik23]

I've had to wait months to see a doctor, had to have a (failed) pap smear, and did not have insurance after being laid off from work so I couldn't get birth control. All separate times. It should not be this hard to get birth control pills. I'll do the pap smear but GIVE ME THE DAMN PILLS. I get horrible acne every time I start or stop the pill and don't want to get pregnant because of a lack of coverage! 😫

[@North_West1]

With OTC pills, Insurance has excuse not to cover birth control pills anymore.

[@fonjadidi]

It was beyond stupid an annoying to have to make a drs appointment to get a prescription for the zillionth time for the same damn thing such a waste of time and money!!

[@christinelennon6659]

Wow! I know obviously this is your passion & your job but man oh man are you amazing at explaining everything in a way the majority of people can understand it! You are incredibly knowledgeable about every aspect of your field & I very much envy your patients ❤❤❤❤

[@kgs2280]

I have a question that is not pregnancy or birth control related that I hope you can help me with. First, I am an older woman (73 yrs.), and I’ve noticed that my healthcare provider practically hounds me every year to get a mammogram, and I understand that because I know that the rates of breast cancer can go up after age 65. However, I’ve also noticed that my providef has never, ever, not once, since I turned age 65, even mentioned that I should get a PAP smear or any other kind of cervical/vaginal or uterine exam, and, I’m wondering why not. I asked my doctor if rates of cervical cancer also go up after age 65, and she said yes, they do. So, why do they never recommend a screening for that? My (granted, cynical or jaded) opinion is that there’s been a huge public conversation about breast cancer killing so many women, so, through organizations like Susan G. Koman (not sure if I got the name right) they have received many, many donations because of public breast cancer awareness. However, I never hear about the dangers of cervical cancer, which also kills many women. So, is it all about public information, therefore donations (money) flowing in? Why is no one talking about this? And shouldn’t I be getting a PAP smear every year?

[@completelycrazy1]

It's not recommended to do one every year even for younger women. I think for older women it depends on your history - if you've been married and monogamous for decades and have had normal results on your tests before that age, you're considered low risk of catching an HPV infection that could potentially give you cervical cancer. But I'm not a doctor, so I'd say ask your doctor directly why you're not tested anymore, they'll be the one with the definite response.

[@Taylor23890]

Women over the age of 64 do not need to have cervical screening if previous results came back normal, this is because you don’t have HPV it’s unlikely you’ll ever develop cervical cancer after that age

[@Mariechenabsent]

Here in Germany, it is prescription only. To be honest, I would’ve liked even more counselling than I got from my doctor. She tried to prescribe it to me the second I got my first period, and also way before I even took interest in the other sex. I always used to say the prescribes it like you would hand out chocolate. I did not do well with the oral contraceptive that I was prescribed. I had bleeding for months, super painful breasts, and quite some dull and „depressed“ years. I even get the feeling that I was slower and „less smart“ now retrospectively. It got better a bit after I decided to stop taking it, after taking it for almost 10 years. Whenever I addressed my problems, she would wave it away: „That can happen sometimes“. My new OBGyn was similar in her reasoning, the only good thing is that I was older at the time. I would never take it again, my life has been so much better without it. Regardlessly, as I know how much time it consumes to get the prescription every month, I would also think it would be great to be available as over the counter medicine. I also think I would’ve discontinued the pill earlier, if it was over the counter and I had the feeling of being pushed less.

[@complainer406]

Do you think health insurance plans like Medicaid would drop coverage for birth control once it's available OTC? Could that decrease access for people currently relying on that coverage to pay for it?

[@beadsbylara]

I do. I work as a nurse in a doctor's office and when PPIs went over the counter a lot of insurances dropped coverage.

[@stephw6046]

I think it would be dependent on the formulary. I still see omeprazole, esomeprazole, generic zyrtec, generic Claritin, and other meds still covered on Medicaid in North Carolina.

[@trexusification]

Love you Mama Doctor Jones thanks for this video and thank you SO much for showing the public how peer reviewed research articles are used and should be used to help inform decisions and opinions

[@kontzel]

I'm (generally) in favor of OTC birth control. One thing that I find myself concerned by is that appointments to get birth control can be one of the few times/reasons someone seeks care and that other types of screening (ex pap smears) are done. I get it - I hope that we can continue to encourage better access to more services that may fall through the cracks. Especially among young adults.

[@complainer406]

She addresses this concern at about 20:09

[@kontzel]

​​@@complainer406And in general, I agree with the conclusions of the study. It for certain should be studied more. It is good to have access to hormonal birth control, but it is BETTER to have access to full range of healthcare. OTC access to birth control is like a bandaid on a gaping wound of lack of care access...

[@Milkymommy09]

If someone truly doesn't want paps/screenings, they will just find another method of birth control or engage in risky behavior rather than submit to a coerced, non-consensual invasion of their body. At the end of the day, people, regardless of gender have a right to make decisions about their medical care and treatment. If they really want to get women to come to their health checks and do screenings, they should redesign those medieval tools of torture that haven't changed in hundreds of years (tenaculums and speculums) and start taking women's pain seriously. They will sedate a man if he's getting an ultrasound on his ball sack, but they won't give anything stronger than ibuprofen to a woman before literally punching a hole out of a woman's cervix or uterus for a biopsy. It's disgusting. I also don't see anyone saying we should withhold viagra or condoms from men to make sure they come in for annual prostate exams and colonoscopies.

[@MareaRayneOleander]

If such screening appointments were free to the patients, many more people would likely get screened.

[@lunacouer]

@@kontzel Mmmm...I have concerns that medications are tied to health screenings when the health screening has no impact on why you need the medication. It would be like holding famotidine hostage until you'd had an endoscopy, or refusing a prescription-strength Vitamin D supplement until you've had a bone density scan. Just because they're related doesn't mean the exam is necessary for the medication.

[@EEE-ij8lv]

Thank you for not self-prescribing. I underwrite life insurance and doctors who self-prescribe typically don't keep office visit notes, which causes major issues trying to assess their health! Also: birth control for the win!!

[@reginafallangie2867]

I’ve had my *BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS “held hostage”* because I was overdue for a “regular visit”

[@garyjaycat]

Thank you for mentioning that pharmacists are already way too busy keeping up with their usual tasks to ALSO prescribe borth control. I've been a pharmacy technician for 5 years at the same pharmacy, and we've had such a bad pharmacist shortage for most of the time I've worked here.

[@georgiabessie]

Can you do a video on hormone replacement therapy? Too many women are denied relief from vasomotor symptoms. They are put on antidepressants instead.

[@Dietconsulting]

Yes, this! I'm so fortunate my GP recognised I was going to need mHRT and we got it started. So many women don't even get asked or even know it's a safe option

[@kyleemeg2171]

Thank you so much for advocating for women’s health care and the importance of bodily autonomy.

[@LinzWelch]

OMG your point about withholding medication for screen. I have been dealing with this my whole life. I HATE THIS. It has made maintaining BC such a pain in the ass. Doctors are getting a bit better now about refills but for the last two decades for me its gone like this: I need a year worth of BC pills. The doctor prescribes me 12 packs. Thats actually 336 pills because packs are 28 days. So that's 29 pills short of a year ****even if you don't use it to skip a period once in a while, worse if you do***. So at day 326 I call and ask for an RX renewal and the doctor says: you haven't had your examine this year, we won't renew until you come for your well woman. EXCEPT!!!! The insurance won't pay for a well woman inside of 365 days. The insurance also won't pay for the BC unless it's in 3 month increments. So I ask the doctor for a temp 3mo renewal to get to the next insurance year and they say..... NO?! I have had this conversation at least 20 times, and several of those involved me literally driving to the doctors office and doing the long hand math to show them how this is so ass backwards and explain that if I can't afford to pay for an office visit out of pocket, why would you want to put me at risk for having a kid I can't afford???? (never mind I'm paying out the new for insurance I would like to use it). Several of those times have involved me storming out and finding a new doctor. It was only recently when I found a new GYN that I was able to actually call and sort this out without much issue and no additional visits required. And you know what happened? THEY PUT IN FOR THE WRONG PILL.

[@christin_germany]

I am happy to provide some insight into why it's prescription only in most European countries. I lived in Spain, Denmark and Germany, all require regular check-ups with your OBGYN. They make sure you get a suitable "pill", e.g. regarding other issues like blood pressure, drinking or smoking habits or other drugs used regulary. It ensures that people are not only getting something random and in case something changes in your life, the prescription could be adjusted.

[@JessicaClark-lq4gw]

I am a woman who does not take birth control. I have never missed my smear test or any other screening that was required. The idea that people wouldnt get screening if they didnt get their birth control there is honestly ridiculous.

[@queentiger123]

Honestly, I would have never started getting my screenings if it weren't the only way for me to get birth control

[@jerelull9629]

Not all women are as enlightened or capable as you. Even my wife, who is brilliant as well as gorgeous is somewhat hesitant about a trip to the OB/GYN or those damnable breast scans which always had to be followed up with sonograms/ultrasound/whatever. I bribed her with dinner afterwards at our favorite restaurant. Last week, she went for the breast exam and they had a more comfortable machine. She still stopped at the deli for her favorite take-out as a reward at my insistence. You girls/women deserve every inducement we can give you for taking care of those bodies properly. My ex-wife didn't, and I recently heard that she'd died from ovarian cancer 5 years ago after a 15-year fight. Obviously, we weren't close after she ran away, and she saw no benefit in giving me her contact info.

[@missl1775]

I'm pretty sure you can buy toothpastes with medicated ingredients (for gum sensitivity or other concerns) anywhere that sells toothpastes, and I've never heard that used as an argument for why people don't see the dentist. People are more able to identify that not going to the dentist is caused by financial issues, lack of insurance, inability to take time off work, inaccess to providers, and discomfort and pain. All of those reasons also apply to why people don't see an OBGYN when they should or when they have concerns. Making it "you have to show up to get your prescription," aside from the issues it causes with birth control access, also could shift focus on issues regarding people not seeing an OBGYN when needed. If the reason to see an OBGYN is to get your birth control, then if you don't need that, you don't need to see an OBGYN, right? (Wrong.) Also a concern with pharmacist screening is that while most pharmacists, like most doctors, are focused on providing the best health outcomes for a person, there are already stories of pharmacies not wanting to fill prescriptions for abortion meds. (These stories go back quite a few years, before the supreme court ruling.) A pharmacist could give bad advice, or even subconsciously be biased around certain people and give exaggerated risk information as a result. I don't think either of those are good solutions.

[@v.t.3064]

Oh I was wondering about this! I can always count on MDJ to give me the info I want (:

[@MamaDoctorJones]

Thanks for being here!

[@daynamabin3409]

I’m a U.S. citizen living in South Korea and you can walk into any pharmacy and get birth control with no prescription. It was a life saver for me when I needed it. And it was super cheap. I always got 2 months worth at a time cost me less than 20 dollars.

[@melissadalton9490]

My biggest concern is insurance issues. My insurance often doesn’t cover things that can be bought OTC even if they are expensive. If insurance stops covering due to OTC access there will be many women unable to afford their BC because they do count on insurance to cover the cost.

[@kellyyork3898]

Looking at that self-assessment checklist you have shown us…,well, you’d be surprised the number of women who have never had a doctor talk to them about any of this or about how the birth control pill affects/works in your body. Shame on doctors. Thank you for your videos.

[@aellalee4767]

I would've had a much easier time figuring out if birth control was right for me if I could've screened myself and read the risks and side effects before buying birth control. I got my prescription from the doctor and she said no risks and didn't tell me how much it cost (a lot for my mom to pay making things difficult), and I had really bad reactions. If I'd known beforehand I would've had an informed opinion, and would've chosen other birth control from the specific ones I tried. Now I'm too scared to try anything ever again because of how bad the reactions were.

[@sandypandy485]

I liked in South Korea and took over the counter birth control pills for years there. Had no issues and saved time considerably. It was super easy to switch brands when I felt one want right- just go to a pharmacist and talk with them in minutes you have a new brand to try. I would guess that this ease is one factor in why in South Korea has teen pregnancy where as in the us . . .

[@nono-gw7qm]

About the no one will come to their annual screening argument.. I usually just use telehealth to see a midwife who can renew my prescription or get me a new one. Is that not common in other countries? Because if it is, it defeats this entire argument. You won’t actually go get your screenings even if it’s prescription only if you can do it over the phone

[@l_7376]

I'm surprised that there isn't more emphasis on mental health issues associated with BC.

[@erinrobinson6436]

There was a one-year period where I had to use a prescription by mail service to get my oral BC. THREE times they screwed it up and didn't send it out to me. It makes me furious all over again just thinking about it.

[@christinewalker7242]

The state of Australia I live in, Victoria, will have BC be over the counter I believe starting next month. When I was 16 and needed BC for a health condition to control my periods, my parents and I wasted a ton of time and money going to the GP only to be told I had to get used to horrible, long, painful and exhausting periods and I couldn’t go on BC until, when I was 18, I had to lie to the GP about being active in that way (I have still never 4 years on participated in those activities). Those two years and that appointment to finally get BC were so traumatic. I had to refuse the pelvic examination and the Pap smear because I am not comfortable with that with such strength, conviction and repetition during that appointment because I knew I didn’t need them, while still keeping up the appearance of the lie. And that was the first appointment (outside of counselling) that I actually attended on my own as an adult to help get the GP to accept giving me BC. My mum was waiting outside the clinic in her car the whole time, so I could go to her afterwards and just let out all my emotions and not worry about driving in an emotionally compromised state. If back then we had over the counter BC, I would not have had to go through the trauma the GP put me through. I think it is a good thing. And it makes repeats of BC cheaper as you won’t need to see a GP to renew it every 3 months.

[@MsJubjubbird]

you still have to get an initial prescription from a clinic. I think that works because the first few months are the most precarious, it allows for counselling, and it means people won't slip through the net through lack of health literacy. It will still be pharmacy only medication, which is also good because we don't want 11 year old boys picking it off the shelf just to see what it would be like to try some or people to stockpile it so other women can't get access.

[@fancydeer]

so I use hormonal birth control because I have PCOS but I am not regularly examined or screened in any way, not even the first time when I went into the OBGYN in crippling pain and in tears begging for help, I'm just prescribed pills and sent on my way. In theory prescriptions are supposed to keep this from happening (we're supposed to actually be getting health care and screening for serious health conditions) but in reality we are just gatekeeping birth control from people who need it for whatever reason.

[@HiKingMargo]

This is absolutely mind blowing to me! I have severe PCOS and multiple reasons for pelvic pain. Most recently (in July), I broke my foot because I was having such bad ovary pain, it caused my entire left leg and left ankle/foot to give out. I will be recovering from that for another 2 months 🤦‍♀️ I have a regular gynecologist that I see multiple times a year, and I do have a yearly pap smear (yearly for the last 20 years). I've also had 2 mammograms and genetic screening for various cancer gene mutations through my regular gynecologist. I also go to a uro-gyno for my pelvic pain, but truth be told, he can't do much. My regular gynecologist provides the majority of my female related healthcare. I went through at least 7 gynecologists before finding the one that I've gone to for the last 10 years or so. If you can, shop around for a more considerate and caring provider. I'm so sorry to hear a fellow PCOS sufferer has been dismissed, as I have been. 🥺

[@starpathdivine9402]

The one time malaria drug, Metformin, which is also mainly used for type 2 diabetes, is quite effective for PCOS. Talk it over with a health pro. It has some other protect benefits as well. Hope you win your battles with it.

[@fancydeer]

@@HiKingMargo I need my BC to not be in crippling pain so I don't want to rock the boat lol I'm just going to stick with what I've got unless something bad happens. I live in an area of the US that has horrible medical care. my last visit to a proper Gyno was traumatic and I don't want a repeat experience. Hopefully I'll be moving in a couple of years and I can find a better doctor.

[@claireashley427]

I'm sorry, that's awful! Have you found a new OBGYN since then? I certainly hope so! I'm thankful to have a wonderful obgyn who keeps me up to date on all my screenings and pestered me for years and rightly so to quit smoking for my own good! I wish everyone had as great of a doctor as her and Mama Dr. Jones!

[@HiKingMargo]

@@fancydeer I'm in the same boat with the BC. I get so many cysts, that they can't even be counted. So I'm supposed to stay on it continuously, as much as I can. But then, the longer I am on it without a break, the more inflammation and pain I have with my other issues. It is a really frustrating balancing act. I'm in the South, and let me tell you, I know it is EXTREMELY difficult to find any good doctors, in ANY field. That's why I am sticking with who I have, unless I move away. Currently, I have to drive all the way to Birmingham to see the uro-gyno pelvic pain specialist. Luckily I don't go often, he is mostly there for when I inevitably have to have major pelvic and abdominal surgery (for the 3rd time). There is a huge lack of providers that specialize in uro-gynecology, since female pain is very much belittled. I really hope that one day there will be more in areas that very much need them. They are able to handle more complex cases than a regular gynecologist can. My heart goes out to you 💔 I wish you all the best if you ever search for a new provider. And never be afraid to advocate for yourself. 💙

[@leagesoffen5764]

I am German and I like that it's prescription-only here, however we have way better access to get the prescriptions in time. We do have emegergency contraceptive pills available OTC, which I am happy about because I had to make use of this through an emergency pharmacy at night before.

[@briezyjscallion]

Thank you for sharing! I'm looking into OTC birth control. I was previously on birth control for health reasons but got off because I still wasn't regular and we decided to start conceiving! I will using this screening tool to find the right birth control for me!

[@diyeana]

Pre-hysterectomy I took BC for pain & period regulation. I self-regulated and took myself off by discussing with my OB/GYN that I have migraines with auras and I shouldn't take combo BC. She moved me to progesterone only and it wasn't helping, everything was getting worse, so I decided to remove the Evil Beast. I couldn't get pregnant anyway, and the pain and 40+ day heavy periods were not zesty. 😂 I guess the reason for my comment is we are capable of self-regulation. We are also capable of making decisions on what happens with our own bodies.

[@jadecoolness101]

"We are also capable of making decisions on what happens with our own bodies." It's almost like women are adults with functioning brains or something... WEIRD. We need a scientific study for this.

[@alexm0929]

I don't know that it is a perfect comparison, but they kinda do the holding of prescription hostage to make you go to an exam with optometry....though it just leads to me wearing my contacts way too long....and I hate it.