The FDA's big 2023 decision—and me

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     November 21, 2022 Hi, I'm Jackie Flynn Mogensen, a science reporter here at Mother Jones. I’ve been on the Pill since I was 17. So when I saw that the FDA was considering a proposal to finally make the Pill available without a doctor’s note, I leaped at the chance to dig deeper into a story that wasn't just scientifically interesting, but personal. Getting a doctor's note for the Pill, as required in the United States, might not seem like a big deal. But for so many people, that means taking time off work, securing child care, and shelling out for appointment copays, among other barriers which particularly burden young people and people of color. For me as a teenager, it meant a trip to Planned Parenthood every month. In my research, I discovered that oral contraceptives are already available without a prescription in [more than 100 countries](. The Pill is nearly 100 percent effective when taken correctly and [safe for most people](. And [dozens]( of US medical organizations have declared support for a nonprescription pill. (As an aside, I also listened for the first time to country music legend Loretta Lynn’s 1975 song, “[The Pill](,” which is wonderful. RIP, Loretta.) The FDA is expected to make its decision in 2023. In my column, [which you can read here](, I make the case that dropping the pill’s prescription requirement is a no-brainer. And not just because it’s safe, reliable health care; since it was first approved in 1960, the Pill has also given hundreds of millions of people—myself and Ms. Lynn included—the power to decide when to have children. And now, after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, our autonomy is more important than ever. [It’s time to free the Pill.]( —Jackie Flynn Mogensen Advertisement [International African American Museum]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Doctors Should Break the Law to Offer Abortions Sometimes, Says New Guidance From Medical Leaders]( "Attempting to comply with reckless government interference...is dangerous to the health of our patients," argues the American Medical Association. BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Trending] [Hospitals are full of kids sick with RSV—and anti-vaxxers think it’s a hoax]( BY KIERA BUTLER   [Qatar has already won the World Cup]( BY TIM MURPHY   [This casino gambled on geothermal—and hit the jackpot]( BY JESSICA MCKENZIE   [Europe’s cities are getting more crowded—and that’s good]( BY MATT REYNOLDS Advertisement [International African American Museum]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [America, it's time to free the pill]( It's safe and effective, and may soon be offered over-the-counter. What took so long? BY JACKIE FLYNN MOGENSEN Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755