This is a guest opinion column

An over-the-counter birth (OTC) control pill — like emergency contraception a decade ago, and countless other safe and effective OTC medications — is a golden opportunity to equitably and sensibly take care of our own health on our own terms. In a major breakthrough, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) expert advisory committee voted unanimously this week to endorse OTC access to a progestin-only birth control pill without a prescription or clinic visit – both of which are medically unnecessary barriers.

A litany of studies and an extensive safety track record show that a progestin-only pill meets criteria for OTC status. Evidence-based and trusted medical groups including the American Medical Association (AMA),American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and many others support access to birth control on store shelves.

Last June, AMA Board Member David H. Aizuss, M.D., said, “Providing patients with OTC access to the birth control pill is an easy call from a public health perspective.” Indeed, OTC access to birth control is a public health imperative that can benefit millions of Americans who are uninsured, underinsured, unable to access regular care due to socially determined barriers, or simply prefer to self-manage aspects of their health outside of the complexities of the US healthcare system.

As a primary healthcare provider for the past 14 years, I am deeply committed to empowering and amplifying patients’ ability to make medical decisions that are safe, effective, and make the most sense for their lived experience and aspirations for themselves, their families, and their communities. Undeniably, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated US healthcare system deficiencies and gaps that require us all—healthcare providers, patients, community organizations, public health practitioners, policymakers—to seek common sense, impactful paths towards rightful access to health services for all citizens.

Just as undeniably, state policy landscapes are closing doors to freedom of choice to plan our families. Yet, the underlying values of the United States have always abided by the promise of opening doors to freedom. Though some of our present social challenges falter within political divides, expanding access to well-vetted medical technologies that stand to benefit the entire public should not be a political issue. We have a healthcare system that needs urgent, ongoing healing. We witness daily the effects of consequential family planning decisions for ourselves and our families, friends and neighbors. We put continued faith and accountability in our policymakers to act for the collective needs and benefit of us all. While all of this transpires, we simply can’t leave people with only closed doors to reproductive health and all that it touches. We are all entitled to life-affirming reproductive services that deeply impact our lives, and no one else’s—an OTC birth control pill opens a vital door for everyone.

It is long overdue for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary barriers to expand access to a safe, evidence-based birth control option. The final ruling to codify access to an OTC birth control pill is still under review, but the unanimous support of trustworthy experts on the advisory panel, amidst overwhelming public support, sends a powerful message. I implore the FDA to follow the recommendation of their own expert advisors and the public’s will to expand reproductive healthcare access and open doors for all Americans. It is a common-sense solution. We all deserve accessible, safe, effective and crucial medical interventions that empower us to self-determine our lives and livelihoods.

You can still speak up about this critical issue by submitting comments or petitions to the FDA ahead of the final ruling.

Brandi Shah, MD, MPH is a board-certified Family, Adolescent and Young Adult physician who has specialized in sexual and reproductive health across her career. Her clinical work focuses on providing collaborative, patient- and community-centered, justice-oriented, and evidence-based sexual and reproductive health services in the broader system of primary care.