[chillydawg]

The pill can have pretty severe mental health impacts on women. I think as long as these are clearly signposted so that women know what they might be getting themselves into, then fair enough. Also tons of other side effects, some of which are pretty severe if taken in combination with the correct (eg most unlucky) underlying health issues.

[tiny_ta]

I was on birth control for 5 years and had some friends on it too. My very anecdotal data is that: while none of us faced any mental health changes, there were some physiological changes that I did not like.

You're right that there are women who maybe severely impacted mental-health wise. But I think the benefits outweigh this as the lack of ability to control one's reproductive life can also be debilitating, mentally. And I like to think that impact is not much worse than what alcohol, drugs, even cough syrup can do to one's mental health. At least birth control can be stopped and is not addictive.

[basisword]

Unless you’re an addict you’re not taking alcohol/drugs/cough syrup on a daily basis though.

From my reading of this comment thread in general the issue really seems to be that you can’t see a doctor for free (at the point of use) in the US. Anecdotally I know a few people who have had difficult side effects on the pill, or medical issues which preclude them from using specific types. Speaking to a doctor once to get put on the best one for you, and then picking them up from the pharmacy monthly seems to work well and doesn’t seem like the “gatekeeping” people are ranting about in this thread. The idea that your pharmacist or doctor would have political or moral views on contraception that impacts their ability to do their job is crazy (to me). If that’s the case the entire system needs reviewed as opposed to making drugs available OTC.

[tiny_ta]

You're absolutely right that, ideally, this would be a conversation with a professional, non-moralizing doctor.

But there could be many scenarios where one doesn't have access to such care - think of the uninsured, think of teenage girls who don't want their parents to know, think of women in abusive relationships who don't want to get pregnant, the list goes on. If you were on your partner's/parent's plan, there is no way you could visit an OBGYN without them knowing. In addition to this, like the other commenter mentioned, this has also somehow devolved into a political issue here.

[basisword]

Very interesting. It sounds like the issue is the healthcare system. When I was a teenager I could make a doctors appointment without my family knowing and without paying anyone or leaving a trace. It’s a side of the US system I hadn’t considered before (lack of privacy) so thanks for explaining it. Great that this will help some people but fixing the system seems much more important than letting people buy medicine OTC without advice and a review of their history.

[tiny_ta]

I couldn't agree more! :)

[pixl97]

>The idea that your pharmacist or doctor would have political or moral views on contraception that impacts their ability to do their job is crazy (to me)

Do you want to know how I know you're not from the US?

Medicine is stupidly fucking political and religious here in the US.

The system will be reviewed by your Christian elected official and validated by your Catholic hospital and affirmed by the SCOTUS and deemed satisfactory.

[Astronaut3315]

Meanwhile, my wife depends on birth control pills to stabilize her mental health. She doesn’t take it for the actual birth control aspect.