Rodolfo Rodriguez

Mr.Darin Thompson
English 1301.27
2 October 2016
Why birth control pills should be over the counter
Many girls dont feel comfortable explaining to their parents why they would want to
take birth control pills. Imagine a teenage girl who became pregnant because she was too
embarrassed to tell her doctor and parents she wanted to start taking birth control pills.
Something like this could be prevented if only they were available over the counter. It would be a
great idea because it would decrease unintended pregnancies, provide health benefits, and
become more accessible.
If teenage girls were able to access birth control pills over the counter, unplanned
pregnancies would decrease by as much as 25% according to the medicaldaily.com. Realistically,
teenagers are usually not responsible enough to take care of a child. Taking care of a child
doesnt come cheap and many people who have an unplanned pregnancy arent able to get an
education past high school because of all the expenses and responsibilities that come with having
a baby. The birth rates in the United States will decline when birth control pills become an over
the counter drug and will result in more educated people. It could also slightly help in preventing
over population in this country. People may be concerned about the reliability of the pill but it is
the best option in regards of birth control. Failure rates are as low as 1% according to
everydayhealth.com. Birth control pills are also commonly used for health benefits as well.
Birth control can be used as a treatment for irregular periods, heavy and painful periods,
acne, access hair, and even hair loss. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine say

Women who have used birth control pills have been found to have fewer cases of anemia (low
red blood cells), ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer. These beneficial effects occur because the
birth control pill works by decreasing the number of ovulations, amount of menstrual blood flow,
and frequency of periods. There are also some possible risks by taking birth control pills
because it increases your chances of having blood clots. If you look at any other countries that
sell birth control pills over the counter, you can see that these cases are extremely rare. In fact,
most deaths that occurred, happened because they were taken by women who smoke, drink, or
have high-blood pressure. stoptheclot.com says that 1 in 1,000 women per year who take birth
control pills developed blood clots. CDC.gov have statistics stating that 10.6 million women are
using birth control pills. If you do the math, we can estimate that 10,600 women would develop
blood clots, and keep in mind that blood clots arent always fatal. That may seem like a large
number but Dominique Mosbergen from huffingpost.com says Acetaminophen overdose sends
as many as 78,000 Americans to the emergency room annually and results in 33,000
hospitalizations a year, federal data shows Even if birth control pills are potentially fatal,
women are more likely to die giving birth anyway. Not only is the pill safe but it can also save
people money.
By making birth control pills over the counter people could save money. For example,
someone could go to a local pharmacy and easily purchase the pills as opposed to paying for a
prescription from a doctor, and then having to buy the pills itself afterwards. Not everyone is
fortunate enough to afford going to the doctor. Giving teenagers access to birth control pills
would save tax payers billions of dollars as well. Huffington.com says In 2010, births involving
teenage mothers cost the United States nearly $10 billion in increased public assistance and
health care and in income lost as a result of lower educational attainment and reduced earnings

among children born to teenage mothers. By preventing pregnancies, taxpayers would save
billions of dollars each year.
Overall there are less damages and more benefits to birth control pills. Many teenagers
are sexually active and arent responsible enough while doing so, but birth control pills could
solve this problem by preventing unplanned pregnancies. Not only that but it will also keep many
women healthy, and ultimately save everyone money.

Rodolfo Rodriguez
Mr.Darin Thompson
English 1301.27
5 October 2016
Works Cited
Bushak, Lecia. Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pills Could Reduce Unintended Pregnancies
By 25% www.medicaldaily.com, The Hill, 27 February 2016
Parry, Jane. The Birth Control Pill www.everydayhealth.com, Everyday Health, 12 February
2016
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Benefits of Birth Control Pills
www.asmr.org, N.P, 2011
Stop the Clot. Is it true that birth control pills cause blood clots? www.stoptheclot.org, N.P, 25
April 2016
Jones, Jo. Current Contraceptive Use in the United States, 2006-2010, and Changes in Patterns
of Use Since 1995 www.cdc.gov, Division of Vital Statistic, 18 October, 2012
Dominique Mosbergen. Tylenol Overdose Risk is Staggering; Acetaminophen Safeguard
Remains Insufficient: Report www.huffingtonpost.com, The Huffington Post, 24
September 2013