Look around the United States and the status of reproductive rights and reproductive health care can feel pretty depressing. Due to the repeal of Roe v. Wade, there are efforts to restrict abortions, to ban them all together, and to put the watchful eye of the federal government on women who may be pregnant and not want to be. Taken as a whole, it can feel overwhelming.
That's why, when efforts to the contrary crop up, people should take notice. Several of those efforts have manifested in Oregon this past month. As we reported last week, the Oregon Health Authority this month launched a website that offers information and resources for those seeking a safe and legal abortion or other reproductive health care in the state – residents or otherwise. Offering basic information about resources at the state level reaffirms our state's commitment to providing a wide spectrum of health options.
And then this week, Oregon moved further forward, by beginning to offer a birth control pill that does not require a prescription to obtain at a pharmacy. Pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid in Portland, Bend and Ontario, on the border with Idaho, are already offering the Opill, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. The Food and Drug Administration approved the pill last year, after a review that determined whether prospective users of the pill would be able to follow the instructions and "self-screen" for eligibility for taking the medication.
Proponents think Opill will make it easier for people to get birth control in general, without having to wait for an appointment with their provider. In a place such as Bend or Ontario, where obtaining a timely appointment with a medical provider can be a challenge, this is a type of service that is sorely needed. Financial barriers, such as a lack of health insurance or the inability to cover co-pays, have long kept some people from obtaining the birth control they'd otherwise prefer.
In a world where becoming pregnant — at least in certain states — can result in having a person hunted down and prosecuted for electing not to continue the pregnancy, we need more options like this that are safe, effective and thoroughly researched. In a time of great uncertainty around reproductive freedom nationwide, Oregon continues to move forward, not back.
