# Birth control pills switched to OTC status in the U.S.?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 12, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801 "2022-07-12T03:04:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801/41 "2022-07-21T21:02:53Z")

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Huh. It must be the artificial progestin, because the estrogen used is a pretty common estrogen, and the stuff in the pill is chemically the same as what you make (although since you eat it, it is passed through the liver, which in this case converts it to a less common estrogen.)

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801/42 "2022-07-21T22:01:23Z")

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My money’s on the progestin.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801/43 "2022-07-22T01:52:27Z")

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Drospirenone is a derivative of spironolactone, which is known as a potassium-sparing diuretic. It (spironolactoe) also has a mild testosterone-blocking effect, which means that it can also be used for some people for acne treatment or polycystic ovary syndrome, which does terrible things to women’s hormone balances. The original plan was to use this as the BCP of choice for women who had these issues.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801/44 "2023-05-10T18:55:48Z")

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> **[FDA panel backs over-the-counter sales of birth control pill](https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-fda-d6e863b0d41a8c6c783c569773efa349)**
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> Federal health advisers are recommending that a decades-old birth control pill be sold without a prescription. The unanimous vote on Wednesday by a Food and Drug Administration panel paves the way for what could be the 1st birth control pill...

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birth-control-pills-switched-to-otc-status-in-the-u-s/967801/45 "2023-05-10T19:10:42Z")

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That’s wonderful news!

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