Gynecologists themselves seem divided on the issue. A recent poll found that a majority of gynecologists and family doctors in training opposed the practice, worried mainly about safety. The researchers at the University of Missouri who conducted the survey concluded that the fear was irrational, revealing “a knowledge deficit” about “the safety of oral contraceptives.”

But Dr. Donna Harrison, executive director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said her group believed that it was “foolish to make these medicines available over the counter” because of the potential for misuse and also because the practice served to abandon and isolate younger women who needed a doctor’s counsel. She cited studies showing that women who had ready access to over-the-counter emergency contraception had higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

The political response has been even more topsy-turvy. Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a Republican who opposes abortion, endorsed the American College’s proposal, saying that contraception was a personal issue.

Meanwhile, the F.D.A. will not comment on the idea because of the “ongoing legal issues” concerning the judicial ruling on the morning-after pill, Plan B, said Stephanie Yao, a spokeswoman. The morning-after pill, also known as emergency contraception, contains the same hormones as some birth-control pills, though delivered in a short blast and higher dose.

That legal dispute has highlighted the Obama administration’s hair splitting over the sensitive issue of contraceptive policy. Even though F.D.A. doctors said in 2011 that studies showed that it was safe to sell Plan B, the most common emergency contraceptive, to adolescents over the counter, the administration refused to approve the practice. (It was already available to older women.) That set the stage for the ruling earlier this month by Judge Edward R. Korman of the Eastern District of New York, who called the administration’s action “politically motivated and scientifically unjustified” — essentially an attempt to appease religious conservatives.

Politics aside, there are procedural hurdles to clear before packs of birth-control pills can be sold without prescription. First of all, a drug maker would most likely have to apply to the F.D.A. to make the switch. At the very least, that would involve serious investment in studies to show that patients could understand labels and use the pills as directed. And over-the-counter sales could upend drug company profits. After all, some oral prescription contraceptives sell for close to $100 a month, with insurers paying the bulk of the costs, while generic pills cost under $10.

Dr. Espey said gynecologists might resist for financial reasons as well, since young women often visit the gynecologist annually solely for the purpose of getting a contraceptive prescription. (Pap smears, which used to be recommended once a year, are now advised only once every three.) “They worry that if patients can go to the pharmacy and get their pills, they will have fewer visits,” she said.