The issue: An application for the first-ever over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill was filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this past year.

The good news: The FDA announced an advisory committee will meet to review the application. This meeting is a key step in the FDA’s regulatory process and an important opportunity for public testimony emphasizing the strong evidence and broad support for OTC birth control pills for people of all ages. 

Your task: Using the draft below, submit testimony letting the FDA know that everyone should have the resources they need to plan their futures, including the birth control method of their choice, free from barriers or stigma.

Submit your electronic testimony

Instructions:

1. Copy the below testimony, including the Docket No. and Name, directly in the comment box on the site. Add your own words to the space at the top of the statement to personalize your testimony. The final submission should be short and skimmable.
2. Select your comment category: individual consumer, other organizations, or whatever is appropriate to who you are as an individual based on the options in the drop down menu.
3. In the “Tell us about yourself” section, click on either individual or anonymous as is your preference. Your comment will be public. If you are in a low-access state or a mid-access state, please remember that these comments are public, so exercise judicial discretion when writing about and sharing your personal information.  

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Docket No. 2022-N-1959-0883 for “Joint Meeting of the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Obstetrics, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting; Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Comments.”  

To Whom It May Concern: 

I am writing as a [concerned citizen/active birth control user/former birth control user] and member of National Council of Jewish Women [Section name].  

[Include a paragraph to make this testimony unique to you. You can share a personal paragraph about your experience with birth control, why you think it’s important; information about your state, perhaps with data on the number of people using birth control, and the impact more access to birth control to OTC would have on the people in your community/state; and/or information about NCJW’s work in this area, any relevant Resolutions in support of birth control, and the organization’s longtime support for accessible and affordable birth control.] 

Birth control pills are one of the best-studied medicines on the market. Decades of research and experience have shown they are safe and effective. Birth control pills are available over the counter, no prescription needed, in the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, Portugal, and over 100 other countries.  

However, systemic barriers and inequities keep this contraceptive method out of reach for many in the United States who want and need it, including people of color and Indigenous communities, young people, immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, those working to make ends meet, people in rural communities, and individuals with disabilities. 

The concept of every person’s dignity is important in Judaism. It is one reason why I believe everyone should have the resources they need to plan their futures, including the birth control method of their choice, free from barriers or stigma. That is why it is time to make birth control pills available over the counter in the United States, and ensure that they are priced affordably, fully covered by insurance, and available to people of all ages. 

Sincerely, 

Name 

NCJW Section title title, if appropriate 

Submit your electronic testimony