Over-The-Counter Birth Control Approval Backed By IL Attorney General

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is among 21 attorneys general around from around the country pushing federal officials to approve what would be the country's first over-the-counter birth control pill at a time when women’s reproductive health rights remain among the biggest issues facing voters in Tuesday’s general election.

If approved, safe and effective birth control pills will become available for purchase over the counter, removing barriers that currently keep many people from accessing timely reproductive care. While Illinois is among states where abortion remains legal after this summer’s Supreme Court decision placing the issue at the state level, Raoul joined a coalition asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the over-the-counter pill.

In a letter submitted to the FDA, Raoul and the attorneys general argue that approval of the pill would allow individuals — especially those from vulnerable populations — to take greater control over their health, lives and futures, according to a news release issued Friday. It would also help them avoid the health and economic perils that come with unwanted pregnancies.

“Women have the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, including having access to safe, effective birth control,” Raoul said. “In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, it is crucial that reproductive health care be available to all women who need it. That is why I am calling on the FDA to approve over-the-counter birth control pills. I remain committed to defending women’s rights and their access to reproductive care.”

The FDA is currently reviewing an application to approve a birth control pill, named Opill, for OTC use. If approved, people who need birth control would be able to walk into a pharmacy and buy it without a prescription, making it the first-ever birth control pill sold OTC.

The letter states that the pill should be approved for over-the-counter use because officials believe the prescription is safe for all users, it would remove obstacles for women seeking birth control in states where abortion is now illegal, and it would, the attorneys said, help provide critical assistance to those in vulnerable environments.

Illinois health officials expect to see a major uptick in women coming to the state for abortions from states such as Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri and other states where reproductive rights were affected by the high court’s decision this summer.

In the letter, Raoul and the coalition emphasize that the medical community supports approving an OTC birth control pill. Three major medical organizations in the United States — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians — support making birth control available without prescriptions. Moreover, birth control pills are already available over the counter in approximately 100 countries, the news release said.