--- title: Women in Oregon Can Now Buy Over-The-Counter Birth Control description: Women in Oregon can now buy hormonal birth control from a pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription. canonical: https://time.com/4166660/oregon-birth-control/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-04T20:40:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T09:03:10.642Z article:section: Health og:title: Women in Oregon Can Now Buy Over-The-Counter Birth Control og:description: You don't need a doctor's prescription anymore og:url: https://time.com/4166660/oregon-birth-control/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Women in Oregon Can Now Buy Over-The-Counter Birth Control twitter:description: You don't need a doctor's prescription anymore twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Oregon Women Can Now Buy Over-the-Counter Birth Control > Sponsored content. 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The state became the first in the U.S. to implement the law allowing over-the-counter birth control, which went into effect Jan. 1, KOIN 6 reports. California’s similar law kicks in beginning in March. “Just having birth control accessible through a pharmacist doesn’t mean preventative health care isn’t important. That’s not what this law is saying,” Dr. Alison Edelman of the Oregon Health & Science University told the news station. It allows “increased access to women for something that’s incredibly safe and a really big need for women,” she added. **Read more:** [Why Over-the-Counter Birth Control Is Stalled](http://time.com/4132835/why-over-the-counter-birth-control-is-stalled/) Women who are at least 18 can now get their birth control at pharmacies after filling out a brief questionnaire. Colorado and Washington have also introduced similar legislation, according to KOIN. 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