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Also, a plan to improve access to hormonal contraception should address cost issues. The goal of over-the-counter access is to improve availability of hormonal contraception, but not at the expense of affordability. Several studies have demonstrated that women are capable of using self-screening tools to determine their eligibility for hormonal contraceptive use. Pelvic and breast examinations, cervical cancer screening, and sexually transmitted infection screening are not required before initiating hormonal contraception and should not be used as reasons to deny access to hormonal contraception. The VTE risk with combined oral contraceptive use is small compared with the increased risk of VTE during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Over-the-counter access has continuation rates of hormonal contraception comparable to prescription-only access and has the potential to decrease unintended pregnancy.Įvidence demonstrates that women want over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception because it is easier to obtain.ĭata support that progestin-only hormonal methods are generally safe and carry no or minimal risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception without age restrictions. Based on the current evidence, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) supports the following recommendations and conclusions: Over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception (oral contraceptive pills, the contraceptive patch, contraceptive vaginal rings, and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injections) eliminates the need for prescriptions and relies on a woman to self-screen for eligibility. This Committee Opinion has been updated to expand the focus of over-the-counter contraception to include oral contraceptive pills, vaginal rings, the contraceptive patch, and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, to address the role of pharmacist-provided contraception, and to provide recommendations for individuals younger than 18 years. Pharmacist-provided contraception may be a necessary intermediate step to increase access to contraception, but over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception should be the ultimate goal.

The requirement for a prescription can be an obstacle for some contraceptive users. ABSTRACT: Barriers to access are one reason for inconsistent or nonuse of contraception.