3 ms·
It's ridiculous that birth control even requires a prescription in the US but it's not an issue you ever hear debated or discussed. The reason? If it were OTC
by elliekelly 7y ago
It's ridiculous that birth control even requires a prescription in the US but it's not an issue you ever hear debated or discussed. The reason? If it were OTC (and no longer covered by health insurance) it would be prohibitively expensive for many of the young women who need it the most. So instead we end up getting annual pap screening even though it's only necessary every 3-5 years. Quite a corner we've painted ourselves into with this whole health insurance mess.
- astura 7y agoBirth control can safely be prescribed without a pap test. A pap test is merely a screening for cervical cancer. The fact that a medical provider would require a pap for a birth control prescription when that's not medically necessary is a problem. Overscreening for cervical cancer is also a big problem. Once every year is an inappropriate screening interval for most people.[1] In some states pharmacists can prescribe birth control pills after a consult.[1] There's no reason why we can't require insurance to cover birth control pills even if they are OTC. We can still have a pharmacist run it through insurance, you just don't need a doctor's note. [1] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/prevention-and-early-detection/cervical-cancer-screening-guidelines.html https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/prevention-and...