With the approval of the first over-the-counter oral contraceptive, pharmacists stand to play an ever-increasing role in helping expand access to reproductive health care in the post-Roe era.
Eight countries are projected to be behind 50% of the growth in population over the next three decades. Five are in Africa.
The over-the-counter birth control pill will not require medical examinations or prescriptions prior to purchase.
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Some states already allow pharmacists to provide birth control to patients with a prescription. But FDA approval of an over-the-counter birth control pill could greatly expand access.
The combined pill contains both oestrogen and progestin.
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If you’re preparing to come off the pill, it’s hard to know what to expect, particularly if you’ve been on it for a long time.
Protestant Christians have been debating – and more often than not, supporting – modern contraceptives since they first appeared.
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Conservative Christians have cheered restrictions on some birth control. But many decades ago, Christian leaders’ support helped contraceptives become acceptable in the first place.
Your period will return quickly after you stop the pill.
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Dr Kim Jonas, South African Medical Research Council
An increase in the adolescent pregnancy rate strongly suggests challenges with accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare services for this vulnerable age group.
Unpleasant side effects from contraceptives are experienced by many women.
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Over 60% of girls in Ethiopia are married by the age of 18. Many don’t have support in negotiating with their husbands and families to take control of their own fertility.
July marks 50 years of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical prohibiting contraceptive use. For many years prior to it, the church had not been so explicit on its stance. How did it become such a thorny issue?
When looking for the right pill, women want to weigh up the cost, safety, efficacy and side effects of the pill.
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There are more than 30 different types of contraceptive pills. But brand names such as Microgynon, Levlen, Yaz and Brenda give little indication of the ingredients, dose or who should use them.
Some women are very sensitive to small shifts in oestrogen and progesterone; others aren’t.
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