Dr. Michael New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute says in spite of the drug's flaws, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the drug Opill for sale over the counter, which means, theoretically, a 10-year-old girl could purchase the pills.
"There are some health risks involved with Opill in essentially that it can cause ovarian cysts, it can cause abnormal bleeding, [and] it can cause depression," he reports. "Also, if women have various medical conditions like breast cancer and liver disease, taking Opill could pose some serious health risks."
He does not think making contraceptives more available will reduce unintended pregnancies or abortion rates.
"Opill has actually a higher failure rate than other kinds of oral contraceptives," Dr. New relays. "We know that 50% of women seeking abortions were using some kind of contraception the month that they did conceive, and we also know that a small percentage of women forgo contraception due to costs or availability."
Dr. New thinks the government agency ignored the drug's drawbacks and potential harms because "we have a very politicized FDA under the Biden administration that's really putting the lives of women and girls at risk."
