birth control access

Drugmaker HRA Pharma has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve an over-the-counter birth control pill called Opill. The agency's review process is estimated to take about 10 months.

National
Science
Health & Safety

Over-the-counter birth control pills are available worldwide. The U.S. may be next

5:00am July 14, 2022

by Allison Aubrey

Birth control pills are available in the U.S. only with a prescription. Now a drugmaker is asking the FDA to approve a progestin-only contraceptive that would be available without one at pharmacies.

Worried about future access to abortion, more women are asking to get their "tubes tied," doctors say. But there are a lot of barriers to actually getting this procedure.

National
Health & Safety

Why this key chance to getting permanent birth control is often missed

11:24am July 12, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Doctors say they're seeing a surge in the number of women who want their "tubes tied." But hospital capacity, paperwork, religion and personal opinion are just some of the reasons requests get denied.

Queue Listen Now

The 2021 study found that 32% of pharmacies did not have levonorgestrel, a hormone that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, in stock at all, and of the pharmacies that did have it on the shelf, 70% of them kept it in a locked box.

National
Health & Safety

Emergency contraception pills are safe and effective, but not always available

10:28am June 28, 2022

by Maria Godoy

To best protect against unintended pregnancy, emergency contraceptives like Plan B or Ella need to be taken within five days of unprotected sex, but a large number of pharmacies don't stock the pills.