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

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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.