UNITED STATES. A committee of experts recommends the sale of a contraceptive pill without a prescription

A committee of American experts on Wednesday recommended the authorization of an over-the-counter contraceptive pill, that is to say, which can be obtained without a prescription, which would be a first in the United States. The US Medicines Agency (FDA), which will be responsible for making the final decision, generally follows the advice of these expert advisory committees, which meet at its request.

These discussions take place in a particular context in the United States, where the right to abortion is under renewed attack from conservatives. The free sale of a contraceptive pill, which prevents getting pregnant, could make it easier to access, especially for young girls. After public discussions, the experts unanimously voted in this direction on Wednesday, estimating that the benefits of this authorization outweighed the risks.

“Increase access, reduce disparities”

The affected pill, Opill, produced by pharmaceutical company HRA Pharma, has been available in the United States by prescription for many years. “We can seize this opportunity to increase access, reduce disparities, and above all increase the freedom to decide whether or not to have children for women in our country,” said Jolie Haun, one of the experts, for explain his vote.

Leslie Walker-Harding, an expert at the University of Washington, said she hopes the pill will be available over-the-counter to help people who don’t have the ability to “choose what they want to do with their bodies.” “.

The contraceptive pill, taken daily, prevents a woman from becoming pregnant during sexual intercourse. It differs from the abortion pill, itself at the center of a legal battle in the United States, which for its part is taken once a pregnancy is confirmed, in order to interrupt it. Some countries already allow the over-the-counter sale of birth control pills. This is for example the case in the United Kingdom.