Mornin Bitches
A cursing, foul mouth old ladies take on the present world!!! Filled with her opinions, views on current events, and special guest appearances!
Mornin Bitches
The Pill Unleashed: Embarking on a New Era of Women's Health
Can you imagine a time when simply acquiring birth control was a challenging and uncomfortable affair? Walk along with me as I recall my own journey from the awkward 60s to the present—navigating the world of contraceptives has certainly been an adventure. This episode swirls around the groundbreaking FDA approval of the over-the-counter birth control pill, a pivotal moment in women's health that could potentially provide relief to women who've been battling barriers in obtaining prescription birth control, particularly teens, women of color, and those from low income backgrounds. We also tackle the intricacies of the ongoing political and legal disputes surrounding reproductive health, including the ever-controversial Roe v Wade ruling.
As we stride into our second chat, the discussion steers towards the implications of such a revolutionary decision—the availability of birth control pills over-the-counter. No more hurdles of doctor's approval or parental consent, just freedom and autonomy in women's hands. Listen, reflect, and engage as we ponder on how this could reshape the lives of women and girls, allowing them greater control over their reproductive health. Remember, in this journey of life, you're never alone, and someone out there loves you. Tune in as we unfold these monumental changes in women's health and reproductive rights.
MORNIN BITCHES PODCAST
Morning pictures and dolls. If no one tells you they love you today, then I love you because you. Who else are you going to be? Anyway, any who. It's Saturday morning all day. There's a couple of things I want to talk about, but I'll talk about. There are two things I want to talk about, but I'll talk about this one thing and then I'll do another TikTok about TikTok. I'm all finished today, tiktok. I've already done that. This is my podcast. Oh, my god, I just need to start my day over again. Okay, I'm going to start my day over again. Okay, let's talk about the landmark birth control pill. That was okay.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about birth control, that wonderful subject that I don't have to worry about anymore because I have men, appraise and I men and pause. I love that one. I pause my men. I only have one man for the last 20 years, thank God. Anyway. So the FDA approves the first over-the-counter tablets of its kind. Do in stores next year.
Speaker 1:Hooray, because when I was thinking of getting married, well, I was engaged the first time, 1960. What was that? My boyfriend was 66, 1966. I think we got engaged in 68, right when he graduated college. I was still in college, anyway. So we were invited to this dinner when they were coming out with the first birth control pill and I was a sweet little virgin. So I just was like, oh my god, how can they even talk about birth control? How could he take me to this? Why are we going to this to find out about birth control? I was just so terrified by the whole idea of birth control because I was a virgin. Yes, your TikTok buddy was a virgin when she first got married to her first husband. Test it out before honey. Test out the merchandise to see if you're compatible, anyway. So now this is written by Matthew Perron in the Times.
Speaker 1:Federal regulators approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill Thursday in a landmark decision that will soon allow American women and girls to obtain contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin and eye drops. The Food and Drug Administration said that it cleared perigo perigos once a day O-pill to be sold without a prescription Hooray, okay, making it the first such medication to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter. The company won't start shipping the pill until early next year and there will be no age restrictions on sales. Well, you know, a lot of people are going to be getting that pill.
Speaker 1:Cuomo-based pills have long been the most common form of birth control in the United States, used by tens of millions of women since the 1960s. Until now, all of them required a prescription. Medical societies and women's health groups have pushed for wider access. Nothing that noting, nothing that an estimated let's see 45% of the 6 million annual pregnancies in the US are unintended. Teens and girls, women of color and those with low incomes report greater hurdles in getting prescriptions and picking them up. Some of the challenges that include paying for a doctor's visit, getting time off work and finding childcare. This is really a transformation in access to contraceptive care that Kelly Blanchard, president of IBIS or IBIS reproduction health, a nonprofit group that supported the approval. Hopefully this will help people overcome those barriers that exists now.
Speaker 1:Ireland-based perigo, says perigos as opal could be an important new option for the estimated 50 million US women who currently use no birth control or less effective methods such as condoms. That's what I use, that's what we use for the first time, but how many women will actually gain access depends on the medications price which Perigo plans to announce later this year. Most older birth control pills score $15 to $30 for a month's supply without insurance coverage. They used to cover it. Now they don't cover it, I guess. Over-the-counter medicines are generally much cheaper than prescriptions, but they typically aren't covered by insurance. Forcing insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control would require regulatory change by the federal government, which women's advocates are urging the Biden administration to implement. The FDA approval goes gives US women and other birth control option.
Speaker 1:Amid the legal and political battles over reproductive health, including last year's reversal of Roe versus Wade, which has upended abortion across the US Horrible. That said, opal's approval is unrelated to the ongoing court battles over the abortion pill, mythopristome and anti-abortion groups that generally emphasize they do not oppose contraceptives, which are used to prevent pregnancies, not end them. However, that has done little to ease fears that contraception could someday become a target. When the Supreme Court overdone Roe, justice Clarence Thomas wrote a separate opinion in which he explicitly called on his colleagues to put high court same-sex, gay-sex marriage contraception cases on the table. It figures, mr Payola himself.
Speaker 1:The FDA's action applies only to OPAL. It's an older class of contraceptives, sometimes called mini bills, that contain a single synthetic hormone and generally carry fewer side effects than most popular combination hormone pills. An outside panel of FDA advises unanimously voted in favor of the switch at a hearing in May where dozens of public speakers called for OPAL's approval. Divya Holtron was among those who spoke, explaining how she's been unable to get prescription birth control more than three years after becoming sexually active. The 19-year-old University of Alabama student said she still is uncomfortable getting a prescription because the school's health system reports medical exams and medications to parents. My parents did not let me go on the pale, haltron said in a recent interview. There was just a lot of cultural stigma around being sexually active before you're married. Is that still going on? Oh, you're right. While she uses other forms of contraception, I would have much preferred to have birth control and use these additional methods to ensure that I was being as safe as possible. Haltron spoke on behalf of advocates for youth, one of the dozens of groups that have pushed to make prescription contraceptives more accessible. The groups helped fund some of the studies submitted for OPIL and they encouraged the HRA pharma, later acquired by Perigo, to file its application with the FDA.
Speaker 1:Opil was first approved in the US five decades ago, but hasn't been marketed here since 2005. What the heck? We have a large amount of data supporting that this pill is safe and effective for over-the-counter use at Blanchett of EVIS reproductive health. However, new birth controls typically combine two hormones, estrogen and progestin, which can make periods lighter and more regular. Well, that was true. When I took the pill, my period became regular. But their use carries a heightened risk of blood clots, and that's true too. They shouldn't be used by women at risk for heart problems. So there you go with that one. Opil has only progestin, which prevents pregnancy by blocking sperm from reaching the surface. It must be taken around the same time daily to be most effective. In its internal review published in May, the FDA noted that some women in Perigo's study had trouble understanding the drug's labeling information. In particular, the instructions warn that women with a history of breast cancer should not take the pill because it could spur tumor growth, and women with unusual vaginal bleeding are instructed to talk to a doctor first. Perigo executives said the company will spend the rest of the year manufacturing the pill and its packaging so that it can be available in stores nationwide and online by early next year.
Speaker 1:So what do you all think about that? Do you think that birth control pills should become available and over-the-counter? You know I think it should, since I'm answering my own question, drinking my coffee here in my morning bitches' cup that some of you, a lot of you, have for me. I think if I had known more about that. I did take the pill when I became sexually active from the first husband and I took it until after I had my son because my pregnancy when I had my son was difficult and I didn't want to get especially over 35, they say at that time you shouldn't take birth control pills. So I didn't take it.
Speaker 1:So anyway, I would just talk about that. I thought I would just throw that in there because we haven't done anything in a few, probably a week. I haven't done any of my tick talks for about a week when I had my dear friend, fabulous wing woman Erin on. Who's just amazing. So think about it. What do you feel about going to a pharmacy where you don't need a prescription, you don't have to tell your parents and you don't have to get a yes or prescription from the doctor? Tell me what you think about it. You know you just want to let me know on TikTok and however, you want to reach me and if nobody told you, they love you today. I love you because you, you, especially you, you women, I love you. Bye.