Bishop Robert Barron recently issued a statement expressing his disappointment over the recent approval granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first over-the-counter birth control pill, known as Opill.

“This action by a government entity flies in the face of responsible medical practice and concerns for women’s health,” Barron said in a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) statement. “Claims that the benefits of this action outweigh the risks are unfounded, especially in light of strong evidence of the many harmful risks of hormonal contraception to women’s health.”

Barron is the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, as well as the Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.

“Allowing this hormonal contraception to be dispensed ‘over the counter’—without the supervision of a doctor and contrary to the mounting evidence of many harmful side effects—violates the Hippocratic Oath by putting the health of women at grave risk," Barron said in the statement.

The FDA granted approval for the sale of birth control pills without a prescription in May. After a unanimous 17-0 vote, the panel agreed to make Opill available over the counter. With this approval, Opill becomes the first birth control pill to be accessible without a prescription in the United States, NBC News reported.

The availability of birth control pills to be bought and taken without medical supervision has raised concerns regarding safety and effectiveness. For a birth control pill to work best, it must be taken daily, and some wonder whether those who aren’t under a doctor’s care will do that. The pill also comes with potential side effects, some of which include an elevated risk of breast cancer, vaginal bleeding and neurological conditions. The pill is already available without a prescription in more than 100 countries worldwide, NBC News added.

“Fertility is a gift, not a disease," Barron said in May, regarding the FDA vote in favor of over the counter contraceptives. "Contraceptives exist to suppress the healthy functions of human reproduction. The mounting evidence of the many harmful side effects of hormonal contraceptives demonstrates that they are not good medicine.”