The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, making it the first non-prescription birth control pill in the United States. Advocates who have spent decades working to make oral contraceptives easier to access consider this a watershed moment for women and reproductive rights.

Dr. Maria Sophocles, the director of Women’s Healthcare of Princeton, called the decision transformative. She said, “It’s so overdue, so exciting for women to access safe, reliable contraception, without having to take a day off work, or get a babysitter or pay bus or cab fare to get a simple prescription that is so safe.”

Federal regulators say the new contraceptive, named Opill, is safe and effective. According to the medication’s manufacturer, Perrigo, the pill should be available in stores starting this winter. There is no age restriction for access to it, but the cost and potential insurance coverage remain unknown.

“I believe the company seems very dedicated for this to be available,” Sophocles said. “I think they know everyone is watching and if they set this price crazy high they are defeating their whole message. So, I am hopeful that this is something most people can afford.”