More than 75% of females favor over-the-counter birth control pills

More than three-quarters of women between the ages of 18 and 49 want birth control pills to be available without a doctor’s prescription if research shows they are safe and effective. Among those who favor making birth control pills available over-the-counter and who currently use prescription oral contraception, 60% say they would be likely to use over-the-counter birth control pills, primarily because of the convenience.

Those are among several key findings of the 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation Women’s Health Survey, which has been conducted periodically since 2001 and included a nationally representative sample of more than 5,200 individuals who say they were assigned female at birth (including those who identify as women or other genders). The report, titled “Interest in Using Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptive Pills,” presents the state of contraceptive access and preferences — including differences in contraceptive use and experiences by income, race and ethnicity, and insurance status.

According to the report, many females who would be unlikely to use over-the-counter birth control pills (46%) or are unsure (14%) say the main reason is because they don’t currently use birth control pills nor plan to use them in the future (53%). Among those who use oral contraception, the main reason for not purchasing over-the-counter pills is because they would prefer to talk to a provider before starting or refilling their birth control. Other reasons include concerns about safety, cost, and health insurance coverage.

While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has required most insurance plans to cover prescription contraceptives at no cost to patients for over a decade, 41% of survey respondents indicate they are not aware of that requirement, and one-quarter of those females with private insurance say they paid at least part of the cost of their contraceptive care out-of-pocket. The KFF notes that an increasing number of reports note that some insurance plans are failing to comply with the ACA’s contraceptive coverage requirement, which has been scaled back through regulations and court decisions.

These survey findings come as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering approval of a progestin-only oral contraceptive pill (Opill) for over-the-counter status, making it as accessible as pain relievers and allergy medications.

Additional findings

• Most females ages 18-64 (90%) have used contraceptives at some point in their reproductive years, and the majority (76%) have used more than one contraceptive method throughout their lifetime.
• Most females (77%) receive their birth control care at a doctor’s office — and prefer to keep it that way — even as more services become available online. Clinics and health centers remain an essential source of contraceptive care, particularly for those with low incomes (18%) or the uninsured (23%).
• 1 in 5 uninsured females had to stop using a birth control method because they couldn’t afford it.

Read more: Is birth control at risk? GOP says no, evidence says yes

• One-quarter of females aren’t using their preferred method of contraception, with many raising concerns about side effects and affordability. Only 30% of females say they received all the information they needed before choosing their birth control method.
• 1 in 4 females either don’t know emergency birth control pills are available over the counter or have never heard of them. Among those who have heard of emergency birth control pills and could become pregnant, 3 in 10 (31%) say they don’t know where to get them.