First, thank you for the archive link - I can only subscribe to so many newspapers, and these days the NYT isn’t on my list of “Yes, I want these hot takes streamed directly to my inbox, and to pay for the pleasure.”

Second, while I haven’t seen the actual approval as yet, this is huge. Not just for adult women, but since we know damn well how humans behave, it’s also significant for teenagers. I fully expect a stream of sensible parents to be purchasing this for their teenagers, and that’s NOT a bad thing. It’s also something the FDA certainly knew; or should have known, and approved it anyway which is a form of tacit consent.

One barrier to BC for teens has always been bringing it up - the doctor visit and a regular prescription can be a meaningful barrier to the lower-income households, and those are also the teenagers with bright futures who actively want to NOT have a baby and throw even more roadblocks in their own way later in life.

Article suggests there will also be the equivalent of a patient assistance program though details are unknown - that’s significant as well, as it’s quite rare in the OTC/BTC world as far as I’m aware. The mfg, of course, has to earn back the n millions of dollars they spent on any trials and the approval process, but they could hand it out for free to anyone with HH AGI under six figures and STILL amortize those costs. This is not an orphan drug, it’s a way of life for a shitton of women and is frequently quite inexpensive as a prescription (YMMV on brand/generic and which particular pill ofc). It should damn well stay that way.

When this hits the market, anyone else want to help run a few truckloads into the places that need it the most? Not that I’m overwhelmingly anonymous on the internet, but… It’s a way to actually effect some change instead of just being thoroughly annoyed that I’m surrounded by a sea of red, though I love my island-of-blue state… I’ve got neighbors like Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, you get the idea.