By Journalist Kennedy Thomason (OSU)
Senator Waheed presented her bill to the Senate on Sunday morning.
The “Birth Control Accessibility” Act aimed to make birth control available as an over the counter drug.
During author’s explanation, Senator Waheed said this bill would address the problem of contraceptive deserts.
“A study found that 217,460 women in need of birth control living in contraceptive deserts, which means they have to cross city lines in order to go to health centers and go to doctors and get birth control prescribed to them,” Senator Waheed said. “In fact, 1,970 women live in counties without access to a single health center that provides a full range of methods.”
These deserts are prevalent in the state of Oklahoma, Senator Waheed said. She explained how they stand as a barrier for women to take preventative measures towards pregnancies.
Senator Waheed shared the importance of having birth control accessible to women.
“Birth control is used to, of course, prevent pregnancy, but it can also be used to regulate hormones, which a lot of people need because of other medical issues,” Senator Waheed said.
The recent overturn of the Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, was referenced in support of Senator Waheed’s argument.
“Birth control pills need to be made to be bought over the counter because they’re safer than many of the over the counter drugs and common activities. And it can make contraception more accessible to people, especially with the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Senator Waheed said.
She explained her reasoning behind why making birth control an over the counter drug is a safe option.
“Birth control bills are non-toxic, they are not addictive, they have a low risk of overdose, which means they meet the FDA criteria for OTC, over the counter access,” Senator Waheed said. “The College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians all support making birth control pills over the counter.”
A final point Senator Waheed shared with the body was women are capable of being responsible with over the counter birth control.
“Consumers have safely been using the pill for years,” Senator Waheed said. “And years of research have shown that women can accurately understand the labels and the eligibility criteria for oral contraceptive pills.”
There was little debate among the body, and there was one motion granted to create time for caususing.
The bill failed in the Senate, with a large margin of opposition.