The mini-pill

Absolutely. Health care providers, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists, can be great resources to talk to about your birth control and other sexual health needs, even when using birth control you get without a prescription, like Opill (a new progestin-only birth control pill that is available over the counter).or condoms. And if you have questions about Opill, they should be able to answer those too.

Opill is a new progestin-only birth control pill (also called the mini-pill), that is available over the counter. Like other brands of the mini-pill, it may have side effects for some people. They may include headaches, bleeding changes, sore breasts, nausea, acne, and a change in your sex drive.

Getting the birth control pill over the counter means you can buy it without ever talking to a health care provider. You can get the pill right off the shelf at the drug store and other retail locations, probably next to the condoms and the lube. The only difference between getting the birth control pill over the counter and getting it with a prescription is how you get it. They work the same way. Whether you get the pill over the counter or with a prescription, it’s a pill that you take once a day that works by releasing hormones to prevent pregnancy before it starts. The birth control pill is NOT an abortion pill and it’s NOT emergency contraception either.

Nope. Right now, there is only one brand pill that’s been approved for sale over the counter without a prescription. It’s called Opill and it’s a progestin-only birth control pill, or mini-pill. You take one pill every day, and it releases a small amount of progestin into your body to prevent pregnancy. Opill doesn’t have estrogen in it, so pretty much anyone can use it safely. There is another type and brand of birth control pill that contains estrogen and progestin that is going through the process to become available OTC, but it may be a few more years before that happens.

There are so many reasons! Getting your birth control pills over-the-counter (OTC) means you can start and stop using them on your own, allowing you to prevent pregnancy on your own terms. Getting the pill OTC could also save you time and money since you don’t have to see a doctor to get them. They are as safe as other medications that are sold over the counter (that’s why the FDA approved them for OTC use!). The biggest medical associations like the  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the  American Academy of Family Physicians agree that birth control should be available over the counter. Also, birth control pills have been available OTC all over the world for decades.

Yes! Opill is now available on Amazon, Opill’s website, and some drugstores, convenience stores, and grocery stores.

There are so many options for birth control that you can access right now, including ones that are already available OTC without a prescription and ones you can order and have delivered to your door! And you can still get a prescription for your birth control pills from a health care provider. Our method explorer is a great place to learn about all your birth control options and find a method you love today. And if you’re ready to access your birth control pill OTC, follow us on social @Bedsider and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s available!

Doctors have argued since 1968 that the pill can safely be sold over-the-counter. That means rather than go to a doctor or clinic for a prescription, a woman could go to a drug store to pick up a pack of pills in the same way she can now buy aspirin. Behind-the-counter means a woman would ask a pharmacist for the pill, but she still wouldn’t need a prescription from a doctor. Over 50 drugs that were once prescription-only are now OTC in the U.S., including Sudafed, Cortaid, Advil, Nyquil, Monistat, and Claritin.

Women in over 80 countries can already buy the pill without a prescription—including women just across the border in Mexico. As medications go, the pill is very safe—safer than having a baby, driving, smoking, or taking daily aspirin.

That said, the pill does have risks for women with certain medical conditions, but one study in El Paso showed that women who answered 15 questions were pretty accurate in choosing whether the pill was safe for them.

If you’re under the influence of alcohol—or anything else—a birth control method that doesn’t require action right when you’re about to get your freak on may be your safest bet. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. Note: These methods will cover you against pregnancy, but you should pair them with a condom for STI protection.

And speaking of covering all your bases, here are some tips for safer, smarter hookups.