Table 3.
Attitudes toward OTC access to OCPs among women at risk of unintended pregnancy (N=2,046)
| Advantages of OTC access (multiple responses accepted) | n | Weighteda % (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| It would be more convenient | 1,394 | 69.5% (66.9–72.1%) |
| It would be easier to get birth control | 1,242 | 61.2% (58.4–63.9%) |
| It would be easier to get a pack of pills whenever you run out | 1,164 | 58.6% (55.8–61.4%) |
| It would save time to not have to visit a doctor or nurse | 1,172 | 57.4% (54.6–60.2%) |
| It would save money to not have to pay for a visit to the doctor or nurse | 1,040 | 51.4% (48.6–54.2%) |
| It would be easier to stay on birth control and prevent unwanted pregnancy | 1,040 | 51.4% (48.5–54.2%) |
| The pills might cost less than getting pills with a prescription | 820 | 41.2% (38.4–44.0%) |
| You could send someone else to get your birth control when you needed it | 716 | 36.9% (34.1–39.7%) |
| It would feel more private | 448 | 23.3% (20.8–25.8%) |
| You wouldn’t need to get a physical or pelvic exam | 425 | 21.5% (19.1–23.8%) |
| You wouldn’t need to talk to a doctor or nurse about using birth control pills | 371 | 19.7% (17.4–22.1%) |
| Pills would be seen as being safer to use if they were available without a prescription | 259 | 13.1% (11.2–15.1%) |
| None | 281 | 13.0% (11.1–14.9%) |
| Concerns about OTC access (multiple responses accepted) | n | Weighteda % |
| Women might not get their Pap smears | 1,267 | 62.3% (59.5–65.0%) |
| Women might use the wrong pill for them | 1,264 | 62.1% (59.4–64.9%) |
| Insurance might not cover over-the-counter pills | 983 | 49.1% (46.2–51.9%) |
| Teens might have sex earlier or more often if it’s easy to get birth control | 1,006 | 47.0% (44.1–49.8%) |
| It’s important for a woman to see her doctor or nurse before getting the pill | 967 | 46.1% (43.3–48.9%) |
| At the very least, a woman should have to speak with a pharmacist before getting the pill | 827 | 41.6% (38.8–44.4%) |
| Women might not use the pill correctly and might get pregnant | 825 | 40.9% (38.1–43.7%) |
| The cost of getting birth control pills might go up | 595 | 29.6% (27.0–32.2%) |
| None | 157 | 7.6% (6.1–9.1%) |
a
Weighted to reflect the U.S. female non-institutionalized population aged 18–44
CI: Confidence interval
OTC: over-the-counter
OCPs: oral contraceptive pills