http://www.gurl.com/2012/11/26/birth-control-over-the-counter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=birth-control-over-the-counter A teen site and community for teenage girls Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:38:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 http://www.gurl.com/2012/11/26/birth-control-over-the-counter/comment-page-1/#comment-256383 Amanda Price Fri, 30 Nov 2012 03:11:10 +0000 http://www.gurl.com/?p=87618#comment-256383 Hi Jessica – I think that women should have the right to easily buy oral contraceptive pills, like men can easily buy condoms. Would be great if there’s a pill that they can swallow instead of us taking the step against unwanted pregnancies – but that’s like five years in the making. I’ve read something from eQuibbly that making pills available like your box of tampons may not be covered by your health insurance, unlike when it comes with a prescription. How true is this?

]]> http://www.gurl.com/2012/11/26/birth-control-over-the-counter/comment-page-1/#comment-256378 Kim Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:14:23 +0000 http://www.gurl.com/?p=87618#comment-256378 The idea of birth control sold over the counter is very appealing–the ease and convenience of obtaining a pack is certainly a huge advantage. However, besides the out-of-pocket cost, OTC birth control would also eliminate the requirement for regular gynecological check-ups. I’m the first one to complain about what a hassle and and how uncomfortable PAP smears are, but they happen for a good reason: it’s important to make sure infections and things like cervical cancer are watched very closely. As it is, the Affordable Care Act has already reduced the number of required gyno visits (you only need one every 2 or 3 years, depending on your doctor, rather than one every year) to have a prescription renewed. While I think it’s an understandable tradeoff to make BC more widely available, I think eliminating the need for regular visits altogether is very problematic.

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