The FDA Approved A Non-Hormonal Birth Control For Women This Year

So why aren’t doctors prescribing it?

Photo by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash

The first time I tried hormonal birth control, I vomited into my college dormitory toilet for hours. That nausea continued for weeks. Weeks turned into months of trying one hormonal birth control pill after another. When my weight dropped below 105 lbs, my doctor told me it was time to admit defeat. My body could not tolerate the pill.

I am not alone. Many women struggle with the side effects of hormonal birth control. Although birth control pills have improved in the last decade, side effects still include weight gain, headaches, decreased libido, mood changes, and nausea.

So when the FDA approved Phexxi — the first non-hormonal birth control for women — I was hopeful. Unfortunately, when I asked my gynecologist if she was prescribing Phexxi, she waved me away like I asked if I could put a jade egg in my vagina. She explained to me that insurance companies were not covering Phexxi.

I could spout conspiracy theories on why insurance won’t cover an FDA-approved birth control that won’t screw with our hormones. Clearly, this country has a long history of torturing women through contraception.

In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of Enovid — the…