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FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

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Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#171

Post by giantg2 »

TheCoelacanth wrote: post #137
giantg2 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like see the data that supports that. If true, we would do away with the prescription process altogether for most drugs.

I can walk into a drug store and choose from aisle after aisle of prescription-free drugs, so I think we have already done that.

This is false equivancy. We would need to view that on an individual basis. Just because we have done it for one type of drug, doesn't mean the concerns are the same for another type. This is especially true when considering alternatives during evaluation.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#172

Post by pevey »

thepasswordis wrote: post #164
pevey wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oral contraceptives do have side effects, including effects on mental health. Sometimes the effects seem to be positive. Often, they are quite negative. These effects are not taken seriously/acknowledged by the vast majority of medical professionals, so I don't see how it is relevant to whether the pills have to be prescribed. It is a separate issue. People should be free to make their own choice without going throug…

There's an association with "needs a prescription" that people have about the seriousness of the medication that they are taking. "Over the counter" sortof implies that you can't mess it up, or that it isn't really dangerous

If that is the standard, only homeopathic stuff should be available OTC. No [side] effects at all. :)

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#173

Post by lotsofpulp »

stuckinhell wrote: post #134

As a woman, I fear most people don't understand how much hormonal birth control can increase blood clots, cancer risk, mood changes, and all sorts of side effects. There doesn't seem to be a free lunch when it comes to biological modifications. :(

Vasectomies are pretty close to a free lunch.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#174

Post by maerF0x0 »

idopmstuff wrote: post #145
mustacheemperor wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are the first commenter to relate anything like even a secondhand real life experience with oral birth control. This thread (edit: at the time I am posting this) is full of men with little real knowledge of this drug insisting on why it’s reasonable it took 50 years for this to be available OTC. I don’t think the contents of their explanations are likely to be accurate, but I think they still explain why it took…

You're right that women ought to be the ones in charge of dealing with this sort of thing, but I don't think a bunch of guys presenting positions that are generally skeptical of the FDA restricting things that are generally considered safe from being sold OTC (even if not for the right reasons) are the reason that it took a long time for this to be approved to be sold OTC.

> You're right that women ought to be the ones in charge of dealing with this sort of thing,

That's pretty contrary to the typical diversity rationale that suggests out group people have valuable inputs. I think it makes a lot of sense to have society as a whole making decisions about how society as a whole operates. It's not just an individual's choice if they take a drug which may or may not end up being like thalidomide. At the very least it affects fathers, and those born with the side effects.

Of course women should have a voice in this area, but also should many other groups :)

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#175

Post by prepend »

What will the cost be?

It’s great that the medicine will be easier to get, but generic prescriptions are only $5. I pay $5 for a month of oral contraceptives, prescribed by doctor, and $10 for 90 days.

My fear is that will be $40 at CVS and will actually be harder for people to use.

For comparison, my 16g nasal spray (120 sprays) is $5 by prescription but much more over the counter.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#176

Post by hhmc »

devmunchies wrote: post #96
LostLocalMan wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes there is a lot of gatekeeping happening across the board. From my wife's experience living just outside of Portland Oregon: - Prescription has been cancelled twice for no real reason. - Pharmacists have refused to give more than one month at a time more than once. - Even if everyone is on board and not hostile she's only able to get a few months at a time so she has to do this multiple times a year. I can't imagi…

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Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#177

Post by angmarsbane »

runako wrote: post #67
candiddevmike wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> There are non hormonal options out there like IUDs (and condoms) that may be a better option though. Whether one agrees or disagrees with this, the argument is not strong enough to warrant a prescription requirement. (Also and separately: human bodies are complex. If you talk to a few women you might discover that IUDs are not universally tolerated and condoms are not an acceptable substitute for a variety of reaso…

Attempting to get an IUD installed was the most physically painful experience in my life to date.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#178

Post by macNchz »

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?

> 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?

It seems that, at least in Mexico, this model leads to massive overuse of antibiotics as people self medicate colds/flu and other things that don’t need them.*

Facing increased antibiotic resistance, letting people decide for themselves when they need antibiotics seems like a mistake, especially given that many Americans already “shop” between doctors until one will prescribe the antibiotics they think they need (prompted in some cases through the perverse incentives of patient satisfaction surveys).

Never mind the decision making around which specific medication may be most effective for a particular condition in light of potential side effects that the average person may not know much about, for example the potential for long term disabling damage from fluoroquinolones–see people preemptively asking their doctor for a Cipro prescription “just in case” they get diarrhea while traveling.

* https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/mexicos-discount-h...

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#179

Post by hombre_fatal »

kridsdale3 wrote: post #167
NateEag wrote: post #76

This reminded me to look up Vasalgel again (a single-application, non-hormonal, long-lasting, reversible male contraceptive that is unfortunately not yet commercially available), and I see that it seems to have taken a meaningful step forward: https://www.parsemus.org/humanhealth/male-contraceptive-rese... Apparently a company's moving forward with an attempt to productize it: https://www.planaformen.com/ With an opt…

There are tens of thousands of men taking injectables in the US and worldwide today who completely bypass the medical gatekeeping establishment. These injectables have been shown to reduce fertility to nil and last for up to 6 months. The specific one in question here (very dangerous in small doses, do not seek) is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trestolone These men also have an extremely high risk of side effects (as…

From wikipedia:

> Side effects of trestolone use in men include low estrogen levels and associated symptoms such as reduced sexual function

> Trestolone may cause sexual dysfunction (e.g., decreased sex drive, reduced erectile function)

Well, that's one way to avoid pregnancy.

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