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FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

fda.gov

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Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#21

Post by sixothree »

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.

I think you would be amazed how many people don't "have a doctor" and simultaneously are the same people who would benefit from this.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#22

Post by candiddevmike »

runako wrote: post #16
candiddevmike wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

There are non hormonal options out there like IUDs (and condoms) that may be a better option though. Speaking as a parent, I would rather have my kids come talk to me /my wife about this stuff and work with us and a doctor to figure out what's best for them long term. I recognize not every kid has that kind of relationship with their parents and would benefit from purchasing it directly.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#23

Post by toomuchtodo »

apsec112 wrote: post #19
candiddevmike wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Also, ~40% of children born into poverty remain in poverty [1], and it costs $310k per child from 0-18 (excluding daycare and college costs) [2].

Broadly accessible reproductive healthcare is about as impactful as vaccines from a value delivered for the cost perspective. You want to avoid as many both unintended and unwanted pregnancies as possible (which ["unintended"] stands at about half of all US [3] and global [4] pregnancies annually).

EDIT (hn throttling, can't reply): People who don't want children should be enabled and empowered to not have them. I am surprised that is a controversial opinion.

[1] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-poverty-can-f...

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33991744

[3] https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/factsheet/fb-...

[4] https://www.unfpa.org/press/nearly-half-all-pregnancies-are-...

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#24

Post by giantg2 »

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…

Was there really any gatekeeping going on for this in the first place? Seems more like just about everyone who asks recieves it.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#25

Post by sixothree »

schoolornot wrote: post #13
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?

Out of curiosity (and ignorance), what kind of things are available in India that are gatekeeped here?

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#26

Post by growse »

runako wrote: post #16
candiddevmike wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

[flagged]

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#27

Post by donatj »

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.

I think you overplay how much people actually listen to their doctor. I contend people listen to packaging and doctors about equally well.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#28

Post by dmoy »

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.

> Bypassing a doctor does open up access, but there may be risks, especially if folks don't take the medicine correctly.

In related news, it is shockingly easy to get messed up real bad by Tylenol. But you can get it in a 500-pill bottle from Costco.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#29

Post by myself248 »

giantg2 wrote: post #24
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…

Was there really any gatekeeping going on for this in the first place? Seems more like just about everyone who asks recieves it.

Spotted the person who's never been without health insurance.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#30

Post by cnelsenmilt »

schoolornot wrote: post #13
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?

Regulatory capture is a real problem, but are you suggesting we'd be better off if the same Big Pharma could just market and sell whatever it pleased?
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