Advocates hope over-the-counter birth control pill fills health care gaps in Mississippi

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of Opill, a birth control pill that can be sold over the counter. The once-a-day medication comes from the company Perigo and has no age restriction on usage. The medication's approval comes just over a year after the reversal of Roe v. Wade and during a legal battle over the abortion pill mifepristone.

A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation survey showed that 77% of reproductive age women were in favor of an over-the-counter birth control pill.

Michelle Colon is the executive director of SHERo Mississippi, an advocacy group for female-identifying Mississippians of color. She says having this accessible option in a state with many healthcare deserts is crucial.

“This is great. It's all about access.” she said. “This particular move makes this birth control available for those women and those people who are in such areas, rural areas of Mississippi who don't have access to a health care provider “

According to the reproductive health advocacy organization Power to Decide, more than 200,000 women in the state live in contraceptive deserts. Women in contraceptive deserts don’t have access to local health centers offering a full range of methods to help avoid unwanted pregnancy. Additionally, almost 20% of women in the state are uninsured, creating another barrier to health care access.

While Opill is the first daily birth control pill to be sold without a prescription, emergency contraceptives, or "day after" pills are sold at drug stores for roughly $50 per pill. 

There are still questions about financial access to the new pill. Colon worries that the price point of the new birth control option could be an issue for low-income women in the state. 

“The monetary amount is still a huge challenge for so many Mississippians,” she said. “If my community can't afford it, it does them no good.”

The company expects to start shipping the pill in the beginning of 2024.