The Food and Drug Administration Thursday, July 13, approved a birth control pill that will be available over the counter without a prescription, a milestone in the United States that is expected to expand access significantly to contraception. It is expected to help a population of women — teens, young women and others — who have difficulty with the obstacles and delays of getting a prescription. In Memphis, the effects could be far-reaching.
“As you might suspect, the women that do not have access or immediate access to the birth control pill tend to be uninsured or underinsured, under-represented minority women and people that are more at risk for unintended pregnancy,” said Dr. John Schorge, chair of OB/GYN at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.