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FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

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Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#191

Post by 101008 »

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?

I dont know what "Famarcia" model you refer to, but in Argentina isn't like that, but the contrary. You need a prescription from your doctor to buy most of the meds. Last time I was in NYC, I was surprised by the meds section, a lot of choices without prescription. I wish we had something like that in here, the only thing that doesn't need a prescription is ibuprofen*

[* I am exagerating but you get the point...]

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#193

Post by Ensorceled »

mustacheemperor wrote: post #74
elijaht wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of that ends up being bureaucratic wastes of time though. My partner was on birth control for years and had to jump through so many hoops - Had to go to yearly appointments to continue receiving it - Could not pick up more than a month at a time, which created logistical issues since they HAD to take it daily - Had to get the prescription renewed every three months or so, which often led to delays filling it It…

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…

There is a lot of horrid comments in this thread ("Just have lots of kids!" and "Great, now people can live their addictions without worry"). It's a mix of ignorance, intolerance, misogyny and with a topping of "total lack of empathy".

I'm a bit mollified by the number of people responding to all of the horrid comments.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#194

Post by travisjungroth »

neuronerdgirl wrote: post #136
runako wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

Good time to remind people that tylenol dosages as written on the bottle are just within the safety window to avoid toxicity[1]. Having done the math myself, you can't even take the extra strength stuff at the recommended timing without skipping a dose each day. Drugs, even OTC ones, have very real risks, and gatekeeping BC is laughable given the risks of not having it freely available. [1] https://www.health.harvard…

Tylenol/paracetamol/acetaminophen also barely works. It increases the effectiveness of an aspirin and caffeine combo to relieve headaches (but not migraines). It’s generally ineffective against chronic pain, back pain, and severe pain. It’s a weak fever reducer.

It’s one of the most popular medications in the world and its use isn’t especially supported by science. To the point of this thread, don’t mistake official policy for rational behavior.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#195

Post by SantalBlush »

cudgy wrote: post #153
SantalBlush wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This goes for other things on HN, too. If the topic doesn't involve programming, it's mostly just uninformed people talking shit.

Because, naturally, humans can only be informed about a single topic: their career. Therefore, programmers are only capable of being knowledgeable about programming. And doctors are only capable of being knowledgable about medicine. And plumbers are only informed about plumbing topics. Really?

You're misunderstanding. It's not that they can't know things outside of programming (which is your strawman), it's that they usually don't make the real effort to learn, and think reading a few blog articles makes them knowledgeable about a subject.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#196

Post by spondylosaurus »

elijaht wrote: post #51
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.

A lot of that ends up being bureaucratic wastes of time though. My partner was on birth control for years and had to jump through so many hoops - Had to go to yearly appointments to continue receiving it - Could not pick up more than a month at a time, which created logistical issues since they HAD to take it daily - Had to get the prescription renewed every three months or so, which often led to delays filling it It…

Flashbacks to the pharmacy I used to frequent whose head pharmacist consistently failed to autofill my ortho-tricyclin and was shocked when I kept calling in to request new fills.

"You mean you have to take this every month?"

"...Yes?"

(And I wasn't even taking it for contraceptive purposes, thank god, but can you imagine if I had been?)

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#197

Post by jjkeddo199 »

38 wrote: post #159
jjkeddo199 wrote: post #148

[flagged]

This is the biggest red herring. Global population is at an all time high. We could lose 2 billion and be totally fine.

I am under 30. At current trajectory, my government (USA) will be unable to fund social security, medicaid, and medicare to care for me in my old age due to worsening working-youth:retired-elderly population ratio. I am concerned about unsustainable tax burden on the next generation youth. This problem will be worse in countries which don't attract immigrants.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#198

Post by maerF0x0 »

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…

It's often funny to me how there will be such a massive gnashing of teeth about whether or not something is prescription or OTC available to women, when Men essentially have no contraceptive choice and have 100% liability the moment it leaves our body, potentially including in cases of paternity fraud.

It'd be like if we told women they had to have the baby the moment their egg accepts a sperm, regardless of the reasons it ended up there.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#199

Post by libraryatnight »

uncletaco wrote: post #135
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…

> This thread (edit: at the time I am posting this) is full of men with little real knowledge That’s almost every reply on HN that isn’t specific enough to let someone shine through with their tech experience. It’s been like this as long as I’ve been here. EDIT: It occurs to me that I've been here for just over 10 years as of last month. Time really flies.

[flagged]

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#200

Post by jokowueu »

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…

What's odd is that in most of the middle east all non abusable drugs are over the counter . Not sure why it's not a thing in the US . Insulin was recently non otc because body builders abuse it ( deaths )
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