The United States government has approved the first-everover-the-counter contraceptive pill. The Food and Drug Administration announcedon Thursday birth control pill Opill will be available without a prescriptionfor women of all ages.

In a statement to newsmen, the agency said the move wouldhelp reduce women's barriers to accessing contraception. The manufacturer ofOpill has said it will most likely be available over the counter in early 2024.

Doctors say that the progestin-only pill is a particularly safe form of contraception because it does not contain oestrogen, meaning it has fewer side effects and health risks. The most common side effects of Opill include irregular bleeding, headaches, dizziness and nausea.

The US joins more than 100 countries around the world that have made the birth control pill available over the counter, including most countries in Latin America, as well as India, China and the United Kingdom.

Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said when used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.

The approval comes after an FDA expert advisory panel in May unanimously voted to recommend the pill be available over the counter.

During the hearing, some scientists had raised concerns about whether young people and those with limited literacy could understand the directions, including not taking the prescription if they had a history of breast cancer.

But committee members concluded women with breast cancerwere already likely to be in contact with their doctors and aware that theyshould not take hormonal contraception. Ultimately, the panel found that Opill- first approved by the FDA in 1973 - had a history of safety and efficacy inpreventing pregnancies.