HOUSTON — The first-ever over-the-counter birth control is hitting pharmacy shelves.
"It's a progestin-only birth control and I think will be very effective in helping us prevent teen pregnancies," said Dr. Rebecca Beyda with UT Physicians.
There's no age limit and no parental consent required. A month supply will cost around $20.
"Since it's safe and effective, it should be accessible to teens just like Advil and Tylenol," Dr. Beyda said.
Dr. Beyda said Opill was tested on patients 15 years and older and is safe to use. Megan Samuels, a former patient of Dr. Beyda, says this opens the door for girls to access birth control who may not feel comfortable talking about sex with their parents.
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"But I still think that it can be a taboo topic, and I think that teens are often scared to admit that they're thinking about sex and admit that they want to have sex, even though they want to prevent pregnancies," she said.
Doctors say access to Opill will help prevent pregnancies, but stress the pill does not prevent sexually transmitted infections.
"So I really hope that this Opill coming over the counter allows us to have more of those conversations with teens about how to protect themselves and also about how to have healthy, happy relationships," Dr. Beyda said.
Health care professionals like Dr. Beyda continue to coach patients on making safe decisions like using protection.
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