Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

fda.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 395 posts

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#11

Post by rimunroe »

fswd wrote: post #7
zffr wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Opill should not be used by those who have or have ever had breast cancer. Consumers who have any other form of cancer should ask a doctor before use. Opill also should not be used together with another hormonal birth control product such as another oral contraceptive tablet, a vaginal ring, a contraceptive patch, a contraceptive implant, a contraceptive injection or an IUD (intra-uterine device). you did not read…

> Consumers who have any other form of cancer should ask a doctor before use. I wonder why?

> I wonder why?

Yes, I also wonder why you'd take that to mean it caused cancer.

The thing you quoted doesn't indicate anything about it causing cancer. It says people with a certain medical condition shouldn't take it. Hormones can influence how fast certain cells get replicated, and it's important to not encourage cancer cells to replicate even more.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#12

Post by candiddevmike »

lalaithion wrote: post #8

This is amazing, it will help a lot of people have access to a drug that can vastly improve quality of life without being gatekept by their doctor. Just one note about the phrasing of all the headlines: they’re phrased as if the FDA did a good thing, but it’s better to imagine this as the FDA _stopping_ doing a bad thing. The only reason that we haven’t had over the counter oral contraceptive for the last fifty years…

There's a bit more nuance here. There is certainly a political angle, but there is a non zero risk with taking something like this that should be discussed with a doctor first, IMO. Bypassing a doctor does open up access, but there may be risks, especially if folks don't take the medicine correctly.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#13

Post by schoolornot »

lalaithion wrote: post #8

This is amazing, it will help a lot of people have access to a drug that can vastly improve quality of life without being gatekept by their doctor. Just one note about the phrasing of all the headlines: they’re phrased as if the FDA did a good thing, but it’s better to imagine this as the FDA _stopping_ doing a bad thing. The only reason that we haven’t had over the counter oral contraceptive for the last fifty years…

Maybe it's time for the FDA to just do quality checks but otherwise screw off. I'm tired of having to order 100% safe drugs from Indian pharmacies. No question they are colluding with Big Pharma. Is there any reason the "Farmacia" model of Latin American countries, where you go in and pay per-pill for whatever you want wouldn't work here?

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#14

Post by genocidicbunny »

rimunroe wrote: post #4
fswd wrote: post #2

[flagged]

You did not. Some breast cancers are highly responsive to hormones. One of the ways these are treated is by altering the production of certain sex hormones.

Hormone therapy is fairly common for shrinking the cancer tumors prior to surgery or chemo, and also for post-treatment to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back. Birth control pills target those same hormones, and thus there can be unforeseen or dangerous interactions.

The cancer warning in this post strikes me as the usual "do not take X if you're taking Y" warning they do in drug ads on TV in the US. Like when they used to show ads for SSRIs, they usually had a "Do not take $DrugName if you are already taking a MAOI"

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#15

Post by jabroni_salad »

fswd wrote: post #7
zffr wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Opill should not be used by those who have or have ever had breast cancer. Consumers who have any other form of cancer should ask a doctor before use. Opill also should not be used together with another hormonal birth control product such as another oral contraceptive tablet, a vaginal ring, a contraceptive patch, a contraceptive implant, a contraceptive injection or an IUD (intra-uterine device). you did not read…

> Consumers who have any other form of cancer should ask a doctor before use. I wonder why?

It's because cancer treatment fucks you up, big time, permanently, and a lot of your healthcare thereafter is going to need to be changed to accomodate it.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#16

Post by runako »

candiddevmike wrote: post #12
lalaithion wrote: post #8

This is amazing, it will help a lot of people have access to a drug that can vastly improve quality of life without being gatekept by their doctor. Just one note about the phrasing of all the headlines: they’re phrased as if the FDA did a good thing, but it’s better to imagine this as the FDA _stopping_ doing a bad thing. The only reason that we haven’t had over the counter oral contraceptive for the last fifty years…

There's a bit more nuance here. There is certainly a political angle, but there is a non zero risk with taking something like this that should be discussed with a doctor first, IMO. Bypassing a doctor does open up access, but there may be risks, especially if folks don't take the medicine correctly.

> but there may be risks, especially if folks don't take the medicine correctly.

This describes every over-the-counter drug that has ever been sold. Keeping contraception prescription-only has always been about politics.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#17

Post by huthuthike »

willcipriano wrote: post #6

> The contraceptive efficacy of norgestrel was established with the original approval for prescription use in 1973. HRA Pharma applied to switch norgestrel from a prescription to an over-the-counter product. For approval of a product for use in the nonprescription setting, the FDA requires that the applicant demonstrate that the product can be used by consumers safely and effectively, relying only on the nonprescript…

More like no one bothered to apply to make it OTC until a year ago. In the US there is more money to be made from selling prescription medication.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#18

Post by giantg2 »

willcipriano wrote: post #6

> The contraceptive efficacy of norgestrel was established with the original approval for prescription use in 1973. HRA Pharma applied to switch norgestrel from a prescription to an over-the-counter product. For approval of a product for use in the nonprescription setting, the FDA requires that the applicant demonstrate that the product can be used by consumers safely and effectively, relying only on the nonprescript…

Yep, because it's relying on the cultural knowledge that has been built up over the years through things like health classes and society talking more openly to share knowledge. And people really don't understand all the potential risks for most medications they're on, whether Rx or OTC.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#19

Post by apsec112 »

candiddevmike wrote: post #12
lalaithion wrote: post #8

This is amazing, it will help a lot of people have access to a drug that can vastly improve quality of life without being gatekept by their doctor. Just one note about the phrasing of all the headlines: they’re phrased as if the FDA did a good thing, but it’s better to imagine this as the FDA _stopping_ doing a bad thing. The only reason that we haven’t had over the counter oral contraceptive for the last fifty years…

There's a bit more nuance here. There is certainly a political angle, but there is a non zero risk with taking something like this that should be discussed with a doctor first, IMO. Bypassing a doctor does open up access, but there may be risks, especially if folks don't take the medicine correctly.

The risks of pregnancy are much worse! Pregnancy is really tough and can lead to eleventy zillion health complications

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#20

Post by [deleted] »

willcipriano wrote: post #6

> The contraceptive efficacy of norgestrel was established with the original approval for prescription use in 1973. HRA Pharma applied to switch norgestrel from a prescription to an over-the-counter product. For approval of a product for use in the nonprescription setting, the FDA requires that the applicant demonstrate that the product can be used by consumers safely and effectively, relying only on the nonprescript…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN