Catholics for Choice Celebrates FDA Decision on First-Ever Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 13, 2023  

Contact: Ashley Wilson, Director of Communications 
Phone: 202-294-4081
Email: awilson@catholicsforchoice.org 

Catholics for Choice Celebrates FDA Decision on First-Ever
Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill 

WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, issued the following statement from President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div., on today’s decision from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approving the birth control pill Opill to be purchased without a prescription: 

“The FDA’s decision to approve Opill, the first-ever over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States, is an historic victory for the 98% of sexually active Catholic women who have used contraception.  

“In a time when reproductive rights are constantly under threat from misinformation and attacked by religiously motivated extremists, the approval of this safe and highly effective medication is also a victory of science over scare tactics and doctors over doctrine. I want to especially thank the advocates who fought tirelessly for decades to see this day of justice.

“I was proud to testify at the hearing to recommend that contraception be made available without a prescription, and Catholics for Choice will continue to advocate for policies that equip every person to make their own sexual and reproductive healthcare decisions, without undue interference from church or state.” 

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Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.