New Law Allows California Women to Get Birth Control Without a Prescription

A monumental shift in women’s reproductive rights quietly took place in California Friday.

Starting this month, women of all ages can buy birth control without a doctor’s prescription. The move makes California the third state in the nation to allow women to do so.

Women need only to buy birth control from pharmacists, and there are no age restrictions on the purchase of birth control under the new law, which received voter approval in 2013.

Proponents of the law believe it will significantly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions in California while streamlining reproductive healthcare for women.

"The easier it is for someone to access medication, the more likely they are to use it," said Sarah McBane, president of the California Pharmacists Assn. and a professor at UC San Diego told the Los Angeles Times.

Opponents worry about the spread sexually transmitted diseases if women are getting tested less often because they aren’t visiting their doctors. Others object to the lack of age limits, which would allow teenagers to obtain contraceptives without their parent’s permission.

The new law covers birth control pills, patches and rings. Women will have to fill out a screening questionnaire aimed at identifying medical issues that would necessitate a doctor’s visit.

No pharmacy is required to give out birth control, and many chains are still training staff on the change in law, the Times reports.

Photo by Sarah C courtesy of flikr.com