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FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

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Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#311

Post by Balgair »

tohnjitor wrote: post #302

Hormonal birth control and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. Typical testosterone levels (perhaps not just humans either but in other mammals as well) have been dropping significantly since approximately the time hormonal birth control became widely available. The drugs pro Before you snicker and make jokes, reduced testosterone in men has a strong correlation with depression, which leads to i…

Before everyone goes asking : Source?, I want to caution one thing.

Smoking increases testosterone levels[0].

Like any drug, nicotine has a variety of side effects, and one of them seems to be increasing testosterone levels (the exact measures here are complicated, read the article for more info).

So, trying to untie the decease in smoking to a total decrease in male testosterone seems to be an active area of research and one that the literature is still working on. Maybe there is a falling amount that is not due to less smoking, maybe there isn't.

[0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17163954/

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#312

Post by giantg2 »

zdragnar wrote: post #258
foooorsyth wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The AMA is absolutely involved in the medical regulation arena. What are you talking about?

AMA != Most prescribing doctors. Best estimates are only ~20% of doctors are even members of the AMA, with some as low as 15: https://www.physiciansweekly.com/is-the-ama-really-the-voice...

There are many doctors who really hate the AMA. I know a couple.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#313

Post by giantg2 »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #165
giantg2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

IDK what culture you're referring to but where I grew up in the US it is not legal for the education system to inform students about what contraceptives are and how to use them. So I find this argument of yours completely bogus.

I know many states don't mandate education on the subject. I wasn't aware of any where it was illegal. What state is that?

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#314

Post by sidewndr46 »

giantg2 wrote: post #313
sidewndr46 wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IDK what culture you're referring to but where I grew up in the US it is not legal for the education system to inform students about what contraceptives are and how to use them. So I find this argument of yours completely bogus.

I know many states don't mandate education on the subject. I wasn't aware of any where it was illegal. What state is that?

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/abstinence-...

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#315

Post by bamfly »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #278
bamfly wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If men do not want kids, it is easy for them not to. Weird to see the "your CHOICE was when you CHOSE to have sex!" anti-abortion argument re-purposed in this way, but, OK.

Not really, as a woman’s pregnancy affects her body and life quite a bit more drastically than it affects a man. Ideally, men would be equal in this regard, but nature does not work like that so we have to work with what we have. If you can come up with a better solution that does not violate a woman’s autonomy over their body and also does not let men off the hook for providing for their kids, I am all ears (or eyes…

Oh, I agree it's complex and there are meaningful differences in how the whole pregnancy thing is experienced, and that the needs of kids maybe should override weird selfish libertarian-adjacent "pft, totally unfair to make me pay for any of this!" attitudes (cases of actual fraud being... another matter, potentially).

I was just caught off guard by that particular argument being employed in that way. "Well it's easy for a man to simply not have sex, if they don't want kids they shouldn't have sex, that's the end of that" is... not usually well-received (and shouldn't be) when the positions are reversed, even when the context is entirely about consensual sex.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#316

Post by mastersummoner »

sixothree wrote: post #25
schoolornot wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Modafinil is one.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#317

Post by mcpackieh »

hadlock wrote: post #279
travisjungroth wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I also do not like how toxic tylenol is, but I'll echo the other (probably parents) posters pointing out that dropping a fever from 104.2 down to 100.9 is... pretty awesome when you have a screaming 6 month old and panicking mother. Arguably it's best feature is mild fever reducer. I love that feature. My child will peacefully go back to sleep within an hour of taking it and we can go get prescribed antibiotics for h…

104.2 F is a severe fever FYI, a medical emergency.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever#Hyperpyrexia

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#318

Post by giantg2 »

regularfry wrote: post #152
peytoncasper wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I was a bit shocked to see this. Not because it shouldn't be easily accessible, but because most women I've talked to about this has gone through some sort of dialing in process. Whether its for dosage or a different brand. Hormones are not easy.

I should point out that if this specific type is known to be safe... yeah, dish them out like tic-tacs. Fill your footwear of choice.

No medication is completely safe. Any medication approved for use has to be "generally safe" when used correctly. So basically all meds can be dangerous or safe. It's all about informed consent and proper use.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#319

Post by hadlock »

mcpackieh wrote: post #317
hadlock wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also do not like how toxic tylenol is, but I'll echo the other (probably parents) posters pointing out that dropping a fever from 104.2 down to 100.9 is... pretty awesome when you have a screaming 6 month old and panicking mother. Arguably it's best feature is mild fever reducer. I love that feature. My child will peacefully go back to sleep within an hour of taking it and we can go get prescribed antibiotics for h…

104.2 F is a severe fever FYI, a medical emergency. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever#Hyperpyrexia

Yep, if you call the nurse hotline generally they will advise you to dose Tylenol and then if if it doesn't come down, go into the ER. We have not yet had to do the second step.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#320

Post by travisjungroth »

giantg2 wrote: post #300
0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Net benefit is the enormous hassle a woman has to go through to get an approved treatment. Annual checkup, prescriptions only good for three months, and then typically only allowed to pickup one month dose at a time. That is a huge logistical burden being put on people. Maybe if a prescription was annual and included a year of pills, that would make the OTC case marginally less compelling. Given the status quo, OTC w…

Those are not restrictions under the Rx process. One can easily access hormonal Rx birthconrtol online - virtual appointment and mailorder pharmacy with auto renew. If people are unhappy with their service, there are other providers able to provide a convenient experience. You can't get a year of pills at one time. These pills expire 1 year from the manufacture date.

You're talking about a theoretical "one" that can easily get birth control. In practice, this does act as a significant barrier for a large portion of the population. It's easy to forget this in an Amazon/Doordash/Instacart world, but online ordering doesn't work for everyone. For example, 4.5% of US households are unbanked.
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