![]() For example, in the 1920s, American reproductive policies included eugenics-inspired programs aimed at decreasing the population of low-income, disabled, or non-White individuals. Such medical mistrust is well-founded considering the legacy of reproductive coercion and its ramifications for racial minorities in the U.S. ![]() They were also more likely to use non-hormonal methods of contraception - or no method at all.īirth control has not always been synonymous with bodily autonomy. Indeed, researchers from the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health found that Black and Latina women were more likely to believe that the government encourages contraceptive use to limit minority populations. While more than three-quarters of reproductive-aged women support the OTC pill, low-income women and women of color report greater concern over the contraceptive’s safety, showing a lingering distrust of birth control. The American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, have also voiced support for the over-the-counter option.īut historical lessons warn against hopes that mere approval of the OTC pill will have an equalizing effect for all people. It’s the only way to ensure equitable access, choice, and education.Īdvocates from “Free the Pill,” the coalition that helped lay the groundwork for regulatory approval, emphasize that contraception is critical for family planning and reproductive health care in the U.S. For the OTC pill to realize its potential for improved reproductive health and liberation, we must acknowledge contraception’s tangled history with reproductive coercion. The availability of an OTC pill means little if patients can’t afford or access the pill, or are simply suspicious of it. But the FDA’s decision, which is expected to be announced in mid-2023, isn’t enough to resolve disparities in access to contraception for communities of color and low-income women, who face long-standing barriers to contraceptive care, including out-of-pocket costs, pharmacy deserts, and medical mistrust. Removing the pill’s prescription requirement would be a historic advancement in reproductive health care. Over-the-counter birth control is no exception. Accordingly, tensions between the right to choose birth control and contraceptive coercion, or pressuring someone to use or not use a particular method of contraception, have influenced social policy since the birth control movement began in 1914. Contraceptives may allow people to manage their fertility, but they have also been pushed as a panacea for social problems like poverty, crime, and, more recently, climate change. ![]() ![]() Related Birth Control Side Effects Stump Science - For Nowīut birth control has not always been synonymous with bodily autonomy. ![]()
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