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Maine health care providers applaud over-the-counter birth control approval

"What we want is for our patients to be able to access what they need and have as few barriers as possible," Clegg said.

PORTLAND, Maine — Since its first approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the 1960s, women across the country have been using hormonal birth control as a way to take control of their reproductive health. 

Now health care providers here in Maine say the FDA's recent approval of the first over-the-counter option will further allow women in the state to continue to take hold of those decisions.  

"Any opportunity to improve access and make it easier for people to get the health care that they need is a big step forward," Nicole Clegg of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England said. 

The progestin-only pill, named "Opill," can soon be available in drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, and even online. 

According to the FDA, the timeline for when the new pill will be available is up to the manufacturer.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64.9 percent of women ages 15 to 49 in the United States were using contraception between 2015 and 2017.

"It's very safe to use. ... Patients can understand who is a good candidate for the medication," MaineHealth's Chair of the Department of OBG/YN Dr. Elisabeth Erekson said.

While many refill their birth control pill prescriptions at a yearly checkup, health care experts say access may be easier if patients find themselves in between financial or logistical barriers and can't get into the doctor's office.

"This is a great step in the right direction. Women should have complete options available to them for their reproductive health and what they want in terms of their family planning methods," Erekson said. 

Erekson also recommends that women should still remember to schedule a yearly pap-smear and checkup, despite not needing to head into a doctors office for a prescription.  

In terms of expanding access, Maine has been ahead of the curve. A state law passed this year currently allows trained pharmacists to prescribe their customers certain kinds of birth control. 

Nicole Clegg at Planned Parenthood in Portland said they also see the decision as a step toward better health care in general. 

"What we want is for our patients to be able to access what they need and have as few barriers as possible," Clegg said. "It's also important to remember that people take birth control pills for a whole variety of reasons in addition to avoiding pregnancy."

Not everyone is a good candidate for the pill, such as folks with a history of breast cancer or who use blood thinners. However, Erekson and Clegg hope to see additional forms of hormonal birth control in the grocery isle in the future. 

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