Smart Women's Choice
FDA issued a warning letter to Smart Women's Choice (La Jolla, CA, United States) on May 19, 2021. Subject: Finished Pharmaceuticals, Unapproved New Drug, Misbranded.
From the letter: “The claims on your website and social media websites establish that your Smart Women’s Choice product is an unapproved new drug sold in violation of sections 505(a) and 301(d) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act), 21…”
At a glance
What a reviewer notes before reading: findings, citations, the response deadline and what the letter warns of.
- Violations
- 3 findings · 1 issue type
- Cited
- No CFR or ISO section
- Response due
- 15 working days after receipt of this letter
- FDA asks for
- 4 actions
- Named as possible actions
- Seizure, injunction
- Issued by
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
- Published status
- No close-out recorded
AI assisted findings
Model-assisted reading of each issue. Open one to see the FDA text it comes from, and check it against the full letter.
01Labeling, claims & marketingThe product is an unapproved new drug marketed in violation of FD&C Act sections 505(a) and 301(d).
The claims on your website and social media websites establish that your Smart Women’s Choice product is an unapproved new drug sold in violation of sections 505(a) and 301(d) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act), 21 U.S.C. 355(a) and 331(d).
02Labeling, claims & marketingThe product is a drug under section 201(g)(1) because it is intended for disease treatment or body function.
Based on our review of your websites, “Smart Women’s Choice” is a drug under section 201(g)(1) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(g)(1), because it is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and/or intended to affect the structure or any function of the body.
03Labeling, claims & marketingThe product is not generally recognized as safe and effective and is a new drug without FDA approval.
Your “Smart Women’s Choice” is not generally recognized as safe and effective for its above referenced uses and, therefore it is a “new drug” under section 201(p) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(p).
What FDA requested
- Please notify FDA in writing, within fifteen working days of receipt of this letter, of the specific steps you have taken to address any violations.
- Include an explanation of each step being taken to prevent the recurrence of violations, as well as copies of related documentation.
- If you cannot complete corrective actions within fifteen working days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which you will do so.
- If you believe that your products are not in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration.
FDA Warning Letter
24 paragraphs · 3 sectionsText as published on FDA.gov, retrieved Sep 8, 2026. Layout added for reading; the wording is FDA’s. View on FDA.gov (opens in a new tab)
1Introduction
1 paragraph
This letter is to advise you that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed your product labeling, including your website at https://www.smartwomenschoice.com/, from February to April 2021 and has determined that you take orders there for “Smart Women’s Choice.” We have also reviewed your social media websites at https://www.facebook.com/SmartWomensChoiceInc/ and https://www.instagram.com/smartwomenschoice/; these social media websites direct consumers to your website https://www.smartwomenschoice.com/ to purchase products. The claims on your website and social media websites establish that your Smart Women’s Choice product is an unapproved new drug sold in violation of sections 505(a) and 301(d) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act), 21 U.S.C. 355(a) and 331(d). As explained further below, introducing or delivering this product for introduction into interstate commerce violates the FD&C Act. You can find the FD&C Act and FDA regulations through links on FDA’s home page at www.fda.gov.
2Unapproved New Drug Product
11 paragraphs
Based on our review of your websites, “Smart Women’s Choice” is a drug under section 201(g)(1) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(g)(1), because it is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and/or intended to affect the structure or any function of the body.
Some examples of claims observed on your website and social media websites that establish the intended use of your product as a drug include, but may not limited to, the following:
From your website at https://www.smartwomenschoice.com/: • “One hundred percent hormone-free, completely safe, natural birth control that cannot fail when used as directed and causes no harmful side effects.” • “Our patented vaginal contraceptive cream is the ONLY healthy alternative to prevailing medical options. Say goodbye to hormone-based pills, patches and mechanical devices, whose dangerous side effects include: sleeping disorders, fatigue, depression, reduced libido, personality changes, blood clots, increased risk of breast or cervical cancer, stroke and more!”
From your website at https://www.smartwomenschoice.com/science-behind-swc: • “HOW SMART WOMEN’S CHOICE WORKS TO PREVENT FERTILIZATION”. • “IF THEY CAN’T SWIM . . . THEY CAN’T GET IN” • “SWC works by an entirely different mechanism than other birth controls: it immobilizes the sperm in the vagina; therefore the sperm cannot make the journey from the vagina, where it is deposited during intercourse, to the Fallopian tubes, the only place where an egg can get fertilized. Without fertilization taking place, it is impossible to get pregnant.” • “SMART WOMEN’S CHOICE birth control cannot fail when used as directed!” • “CONTRACEPTIVE” • “Natural, safe, effective patented birth control”
From your website at https://www.smartwomenschoice.com/about-swc: • “It was only when a friend lost her beautiful young daughter caused by blood clots that formed due to her use of a hormone-containing birth control device, that Francoise felt a moral imperative to share her discovery with other women as an alternative to the dangerous hormone-based contraceptives.”
From your website at https://www.smartwomenschoice.com/order: • “I really appreciate this product. It has made my sexual health much better. I was tired of feeling sick all of the time or being worried that other non-hormonal birth controls would fail.”
From the “About” sidebar on your Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SmartWomensChoiceInc/: • “Smart Women’s Choice is the only non-hormonal birth control that is 99.8% effective with no side effects, as an alternative to hormonal contraceptives.”
From a February 4, 2021 post on your Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SmartWomensChoiceInc/ and a February 6, 2021 post on your Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/smartwomenschoice/: • “Smart Women’s Choice is a great option for Natural Family Planning . . . is a safe and effective alternative to hormonal birth control that gives you peace of mind while allowing you to start a family in your own time.”
From January 31, 2021 posts on your Facebook and Instagram pages at https://www.facebook.com/SmartWomensChoiceInc/ and https://www.instagram.com/smartwomenschoice/: • “SMART WOMEN’S CHOICE . . . No Unwanted Pregnancies”
From January 30, 2021 posts on your Facebook and Instagram pages at https://www.facebook.com/SmartWomensChoiceInc/ and https://www.instagram.com/smartwomenschoice/: • “I STOPPED TAKING THE PILL A FEW WEEKS AGO AND I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW MUCH IT AFFECTED ME AND MY EMOTIONS THANKS FOR CREATING A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL.”
Your “Smart Women’s Choice” is not generally recognized as safe and effective for its above referenced uses and, therefore it is a “new drug” under section 201(p) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(p). With certain exceptions not applicable here, new drugs may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without prior approval from the FDA, as described in sections 301(d) and 505(a) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 331(d) and 355(a). FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data and information demonstrating that the drug is safe and effective. There are no FDA-approved applications in effect for your product.
3Conclusion
4 paragraphs
This letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive statement of violations that may exist in connection with your products. You are responsible for investigating and determining the causes of any violations and for preventing their recurrence or the occurrence of other violations. It is your responsibility to ensure that your firm complies with all requirements of federal law, including FDA regulations.
This letter notifies you of our concerns and provides you an opportunity to address them. Failure to adequately address this matter may result in legal action including, without limitation, seizure and/or injunction.
Please notify FDA in writing, within fifteen working days of receipt of this letter, of the specific steps you have taken to address any violations. Include an explanation of each step being taken to prevent the recurrence of violations, as well as copies of related documentation. If you cannot complete corrective actions within fifteen working days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which you will do so. If you believe that your products are not in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration.
Your response should be sent to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research/Office of Compliance/Office of Unapproved Drugs and Labeling Compliance by e-mail to FDAADVISORY@fda.hhs.gov.
Citations and trends
Each 21 CFR section, ISO 13485 clause and issue type in this letter, how often it appears across all letters, and its trend by the year FDA issued the letters. 2026 runs to Nov 3, 2026, compared with the same dates last year. Select a row or a bar to see those letters in Letters. As cited in this historical letter, not a statement of current requirements.
This letter cites no 21 CFR section or ISO 13485 clause.
Issue types
Record details
- Issuing center
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
- Issuing office
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
- Location
- La Jolla, CA, United States
- Letter posted date
- May 25, 2021
- Letter issue date
- May 19, 2021
- Addressed to
- CEO
- Inspection dates
- Not recorded
- Response window
- 15 working days after receipt of this letter
Read the source clause
Please notify FDA in writing, within fifteen working days of receipt of this letter, of the specific steps you have taken to address any violations.
- Record length
- 1,041 words · 0 recorded redactions
- Published status
- No published close-out
- Original letter
- View on FDA.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Dataset last checked
- Nov 11, 2026 · How this is built
A response window is not a calculated due date. Source excerpts are selected passages. Finding interpretations and categories are model-assisted. Verify the original letter before relying on a finding.