The Pill:
Over-the-Counter Access
In a major breakthrough, the first FDA-approved, over-the-counter birth control pill is now for sale on store shelves!
A second version of an over-the-counter birth control pill, a combined oral contraceptive (COC) called “Zena” is progressing through the FDA approval process.
Both versions of the pill — the mini pill and the commonly used combined pill — must be available over the counter for true accessibility.
Read CAI’s explainer on the importance of maintaining the FDA’s integrity and independence in ensuring the safety, effectiveness and accessibility of contraceptives.
New poll results: A second type of over-the-counter birth control pill — used by over 90% of pill users — may face final FDA review during the Trump administration. Recent polling shows that 89% of women ages 18-34 favor a second over-the-counter birth control pill.
See our full poll findings here.
Strong majorities find it important for a second type of birth control pill to be available OTC
Strong majorities support expanding coverage requirements for contraception to OTC options
Watch the following videos for a medical overview of over-the-counter birth control pills, plus what to expect as “Zena” makes its way through the regulatory process:
CAI’s short explainer videos address the current public discourse about contraception in three categories: Fighting misinformation and disinformation; the pill OTC; and challenging myths about birth control. See all of our explainer videos here.
Watch these two videos to understand what’s coming:
In 2024 “Opill,” a progestin-only pill often called the “mini-pill,” was the first birth control pill to be offered for sale on store shelves without a prescription.
Watch these two videos explaining everything you need to know about the pill over the counter and this major advancement:
Remove Barriers
The pill is safe and many experts, including The American Medical Association, agree that it should be available over the counter.
Important Advancement
A large majority — 86% — of women of reproductive age in the United States support making birth control pills available over the counter.
Increase Access
With one version of the pill — the “mini-pill” — now available over the counter, the second, more commonly used version — the combined pill — must be made available for true accessibility.