Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptive Use and Initiation of Contraception.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter (OTC) oral contraceptive pill (OCP) in 2023, potentially expanding access to contraception. Understanding whether OTC availability reaches individuals with systemic barriers to care is essential to assessing its public health impact.

Objective

To evaluate whether the newly available OTC progestin-only OCP is reaching individuals not previously using contraception or who rely on less-effective methods.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study used baseline data from a national, prospective US cohort. Participants were individuals aged 15 to 45 years obtaining OCPs at pharmacies or online between April 2024 and February 2025. Participants were eligible if they obtained

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez MI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12362221 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature