ACOG, the [lobbying] group of obstetricians and gynecologists, has issued a recommendation that birth control pills be made available over the counter, without a prescription. This has some pluses and some minuses.
On the plus side, it would make birth control more widely available to people who may not have access to doctors. Fifty percent of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, according to a recent study. This would probably cut down on unwanted pregnancies and also cut down on unwanted abortions.
On the minus side, there wouldn’t be a doctor to advise the patient of the risks of blood clots, stroke, or other risk factors of birth control pills. OTC medications also wouldn’t be paid for by health insurance or Obamacare. Also, it could discourage patients from seeing their doctors and other medical conditions could go undiagnosed.
I’d like to know your thoughts on this issue.
