TOPLINE:

Over-the-counter (OTC) oral contraceptive pill access was linked to a 31.8 percentage point increase in contraceptive initiation among nonusers and a 41.0 percentage point increase in transitioning from less effective methods. More uninsured individuals (31.6% vs 3.5%) and rural residents (14.4% vs 8.4%) accessed OTC options compared to prescription users.

METHODOLOGY:

A cross-sectional analysis utilized baseline data from a national, prospective, United States cohort study.

Participants included 986 individuals, with the largest proportion aged 20-24 years (338 participants [34.3%]) and predominantly single (692 participants [70.2%]).

OTC oral contraceptive pill users accounted for 320 (32.5%) of the sample.

Researchers recruited individuals aged 15-45 years obtaining ora

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