FDA Panel Backs , Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill.<br />NPR reports that a panel of advisers has <br />recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <br />approve the first over-the-counter birth control pill. .<br />Pending the FDA's approval, <br />Opill will be sold by Perrigo.<br />The progestin-only pill utilizes a synthetic version <br />of the hormone to prevent pregnancy,<br />while most other pills also contain estrogen.<br />I feel that the risk of unintended pregnancy <br />is lower with this approach than any <br />of the other available contraceptive <br />approaches that women have access <br />to without seeing a health care provider, Dr. Deborah Armstrong, a professor of oncology, <br />gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins, via NPR.<br />I voted yes because the evidence <br />demonstrates that the benefits clearly <br />exceed the risks. Opill has the potential <br />to have a huge public health impact, Kathryn Curtis, a health scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's division of reproductive health, via NPR.<br />NPR reports that the FDA questioned whether the <br />company had provided enough evidence to convince <br />the panel of the pill's safety without medical guidance.<br />One point the agency expressed concern about was if women with breast cancer would be aware <br />that the pill would be dangerous for them to take.<br />Ultimately, the advisery panel concluded that women <br />know enough about oral contraceptives to use <br />the over-the-counter version safely and effectively.<br />I think this represents a landmark <br />in our history of women's health. <br />Unwanted pregnancies can really <br />derail a woman's life, and <br />especially an adolescent's life, Dr. Margery Gass of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, via NPR.<br />So I'm very pleased that the FDA <br />is seriously considering this. And I look <br />forward to it being on the market, Dr. Margery Gass of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, via NPR
