March 3, 2015 — Making birth control pills available without a prescription or out-of-pocket costs could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies among low-income women by 7% to 25%, according to a study published in Contraception , Medical Daily reports (Bushak, Medical Daily , 2/27).

Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco and Ibis Reproductive Health collaborated on the study. They projected scenarios in which women would be able to obtain birth control pills at a pharmacy without a prescription and have the cost covered by insurance (Bassett, Huffington Post , 2/27).



Key Findings



About 11% to 12% more women would use the pill if it could be obtained at a pharmacy without a prescription or out-of-pocket costs, the researchers estimated. The increase in pill use would reduce the number of women who do not use contraception or who only rely on condoms by about 20% to 36%, resulting in a reduction in unintended pregnancies.



Study co-author Dan Grossman explained, "Women who are currently using methods that are less effective than the pill -- mainly condoms or nothing -- would use it," adding, "Particularly low-income women" ( Medical Daily , 2/27).



Grossman noted that although the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) has expanded access to contraceptive coverage without cost-sharing, "there is still a need for over-the-counter birth control to fill the gap when women run out of pills while traveling, for example, or for those who find it inconvenient to get to a clinic." He added, "But to reach the largest number of women most in need, it's critical that a future [over-the-counter] pill be covered by insurance" ( Huffington Post , 2/27).





