In July 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill, a daily progestin-only oral contraceptive for over-the-counter sale to people of all ages. Daniel Grossman, MD, discusses this and more with JAMA Associate Editor Melissa A. Simon, MD, MPH.
This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes what teens should consider when choosing contraception methods.
Oral contraceptives are pills that prevent pregnancy. Most oral contraceptive pills contain 2 hormones—estrogen and progestin—that are naturally present in the bodies of individuals who are capable of becoming pregnant. Progestin-only oral contraceptive pills can be used by individuals who should avoid additional estrogen, such as those who smoke, are breastfeeding, or have heart disease or diabetes.
In the US, nearly all oral contraceptives require a prescription. In July 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first oral contraceptive pill (Opill) that will be available without a prescription.
U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (U.S. SPR), adapted by CDC from global guidance developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), provides evidence-based guidance on contraceptive use for U.S. health care providers (1). During January-February, 2021, CDC evaluated the 2019 WHO recommendation on self-administered subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) (2). CDC adopted the WHO recommendation on the basis of moderate-certainty evidence that self-administered DMPA-SC is safe and effective, and has higher continuation rates compared with provider-administered DMPA. The new U.S. SPR recommendation states that self-administered DMPA-SC should be made available as an additional approach to deliver injectable contraception. Provider-administered DMPA should remain available. Self-administered DMPA-SC is a user-controlled method that has the potential to improve contraceptive access and increase reproductive autonomy. Self-administered DMPA-SC should be offered in a noncoercive manner through a shared decision-making process between patients and their health care providers, with a focus on patient preferences and equitable access to the full range of contraceptive methods.
