On Thursday, July 13, FDA regulators announced the approval of the progestin-only oral contraceptive known as Opill for over-the-counter sale. One especially disturbing detail: it will not have any age restrictions.
Free the Pill – a coalition organization with members including the pro-eugenics Advocates for Youth and the pro-abortion Ibis Reproductive Health – lauded the decision in multiple social media posts. The group particularly praised the decision to allow sales without age restrictions, stating on Twitter, “Young folks are the experts of their own lives and decisions like these puts [sic] healthcare access in the hands of people who need it most.”
Dyvia Huitron, a member of Advocates for Youth (which is financially backed by Planned Parenthood), told the Washington Post, “Young people absolutely need this. For them to be able to get something so important in terms of taking care of their bodies, at an age when historically we have not been allowed to … it will have a really significant impact on our lives and our ability to plan for the future.”
READ: New Biden executive order expands access to over-the-counter contraceptives
As Live Action News previously reported, progestin-only oral contraceptives, also called “mini-pills,” are not without health risks:
Research suggests that women who take progestin-only birth control are at increased risk of developing breast cancer, cervical cancer, and brain cancer, and a 2015 study found that glioma risk nearly tripled for women taking progestin-only birth control when compared to women who had never taken hormonal contraception.
In addition, although ectopic pregnancy only occurs in 2-5% of pregnancies generally, a whopping 10% of women who conceived while using progestin-only contraception experienced ectopic pregnancies, according to one study.
Side effects of progestin-only oral contraception include headaches, dizziness, nausea, increased appetite, abdominal pain, cramps and bloating, fatigue, painful periods, nervousness, backache, breast discomfort, and acne. The risk for depression is also increased, especially for younger women and girls.
In its statement opposing over-the-counter status for Opill released in November of 2022, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, along with the Catholic Medical Association, the National Association of Catholic Nurses, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote, “We strenuously oppose the non-prescription availability of OPILL because such access … violates” the Hippocratic imperative to do no harm. “Any patient having access to a medication that has the documented and potentially life-threatening side effects that can be present with OPILL, at a minimum, should be medically evaluated for contraindications to the drug,” the statement added.
Over-the-counter Opill is expected to be available in stores beginning in January or February of 2024.
