Modern birth control pills were approved by the FDA in the 1960s. This was heralded as a women’s revolution. No longer were they required to use sponges, diaphragms or condoms. Birth control pills gave women the right to be in charge of their own conception or lack thereof. This technological advance helped spur the sexual revolution of the late 1960s. However, women are still required to see their doctor on a regular basis for continued prescriptions. Since the safety of oral contraceptives has been touted and well established, why then is it not sold over History For centuries women have tried many means to prevent pregnancy. As far back as the Ancient Egyptians women have use herbs, improvised diaphragms, withdrawal methods, …show more content…
Still others were more based in superstition such as wearing amulets made of animal parts, these were of course very ineffective. Breastfeeding was found to delay pregnancy, but due to rampant malnutrition, this caused many maternal and infant deaths. Birth Control Pills In the 1950’s, the search was on for a reliable oral contraceptive. Research began based on herbal folk remedies used by Aztec women. It was found that some of herbs they were using contained a form of progestin. Researchers were able to synthesize this hormone. Margaret Sanger, one of the pioneers of modern birth control, founded Planned Parenthood which was an organization to teach and distribute contraceptives. She found donors to contribute to her cause and to the cause of making a birth control pill. Her investors funneled the money for clinical Over the counter Birth Control Pills 3 trials. In 1960, the first birth control pill was released on the market. Impact The release of the first birth control pill was a major step forward for women. No longer were they made to use ineffective birth control methods or rely on their partner to either withdraw or use a condom. For the first time, women were placed in charge of their …show more content…
(2011). Over 50 years of the oral contraceptive. Practice Nurse, 41(4), 40-41 Dennis, A., & Grossman, D. (2012). Barriers to Contraception and Interest In Over-the-Counter Access Among Low-Income Women: A Qualitative Study. Perspectives On Sexual & Reproductive Health, 44(2), 84-91. doi:10.1363/4408412 Grossman, D. (2013). Moving Oral Contraceptives Over the Counter as a Strategy to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 158(11), 839- Is it time to bring OCs over the counter?. (2010). Contraceptive Technology Update, 31(7), 77- Potter, J. E., White, K., Hopkins, K., Amastae, J., & Grossman, D. (2010). Clinic Versus Over- the-Counter Access to Oral Contraception: Choices Women Make Along the US-- Mexico Border. American Journal Of Public Health, 100(6), 1130-1136. doi:10.2105/ AJPH.2009.179887 Trussell, J., Stewart, F., Potts, M., Guest, F., & Ellertson, C. (1993). Should Oral Contraceptives be Available Without Prescription?. American Journal Of Public Health, 83(8), 1094. Watkins, E. (2012). How the pill became a lifestyle drug: the pharmaceutical industry and birth control in the United States since 1960. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(8), 1462-1472.
Although birth control and other forms of contraceptives did not fully become legal until the 1960’s they had been developed nearly seventy years earlier in the forms the are still prevalent today (Birth Control in America). The modern condom, or “...rubber was invented in 1870, but [it] was not the thin latex type…” that is currently prevalent in our society (Hoag Levins 2). An early form of the birth control pill, which Margaret Sanger advocated, was also in existence in the very late 1800’s (Birth Control in America). Contraception was considered an ethical issue, in that the majority of Americans believed it was a form of abortion and therefor it was considered amoral (Birth Control in America). The laws of Sanger's day “...forced women into celibacy on one hand, or abortion on the other" (Sanger B 3). Why did it take so long to spread and legalize something with the potential to better the lives and life styles of women and families in the early 1900’s? It could be partially attributed to the attitude of politicians of the time. President Theodore Roosevelt said "...that the American people would be committing racial suicide"(Birth Control in America). Roosevelt shared a belief, held by the majority of politicians at the time, that families of America should act, as Roosevelt put it "servants of the state; and should provide Children to build national st...
Since 1912 Sanger had dreamed of a pill that would provide cheap, safe, and effective contraception. In 1951 Margaret Sanger met Dr. Gregory Pincus, a biologist whose expertise was in the field of fertility. Planned Parenthood Federation of America provided a grant to research the effect of progesterone on ovulation. Dr. Pincus’ research supported earlier findings that progesterone acts as an inhibitor to ovulation. With these findings, Margaret Sanger was able to convince Katherine McCormick, a wealthy heiress, to provide the funding for Dr. Gregory Pincus to develop the first birth control
When legally introduced to society in 1960, the Pill stirred up a long period of controversy. The availability of the Pill had great impact on women’s health, social life, laws, religion, family, relationships, morality and sexuality. Initially conceived to be highly effective and safe, the Pill left many women with side effects – few which led to several fatalities. Before the Pill was created, many women postponed sex due to the social norm and fear of becoming pregnant before marriage. Families grew large and it was typical for a woman to have multiple children caused by the lack of birth control. Due to regulations, such as the Comstock laws, many people supported the prohibition of the Pill and other family planning practices. However, many women believed in the right to control their own body when it came to procreation. Despite the controversies, the Pill left lasting impacts, such as by opening society to the sexual revolution and...
Samuel A. Pasquale, M.D., and Jennifer Cadoff, The Birth Control Book: A Complete Guide to Your Contraceptive Options, New York: Ballantine Books, 1996
The following year the ban on contraceptives was called off and doctors could now legally prescribe birth control. (499) But this didn't mean that women were now running to get a prescription form of birth control, they still preferred other methods. Many women could not afford prescriptions or did not live close enough to a clinic. Convenience, affordability, and discreetness was still what women looked for when choosing a form of birth control. New laws in 1938 that governed medical devices had little impact on commercially sold birth control products because they were still being sold as vaginal cleansers. Women came to depend on “feminine hygiene” products more than any other method of birth control even well after the pill was developed in
In the early Middle Ages and long before this time, contraception and birth control were easily discussable and were common conversations among people until the mid-fourteenth century (McFarlane & Meier). So why did this information disappear and why is it so difficult to talk about this today? Right about the time that the witch trials began, many birth control methods were lost. It is said to be that most midwives (a person who delivers babies), were killed as witches in the trials, therefore losing information about old contraception methods (McFarlane & Meier). It is then easy to see why birth control and contraception methods were no longer talked about, as they were associated with witches. But in today’s world, about 99% of women
Overall, birth control in the 1950s faced a surplus of regulations and opposition due to gender roles in the patriarchal society that was present at the time.
The first form of birth control came in the form a pill and was approved by the FDA in 1960(qtd in Gladwell ) The pill was said to be the safest form of birth control because it was safe and said to be a natural form of birth control. John Rock was a well know man around the community. Loretta McLaughlin writes, "It was his name and his reputation that gave ultimate validity to the claims that the pill would protect women against unwanted pregnancy.”(qdt in Gladwell) Even back then, with all the research that they set out to do the pill was still know to cause cancer in young women, not only cancer but the miscarrying of children shortly after taking the pill.
From the time birth control was first introduced in the late 20th century, many different responses have stemmed from the public. Most popularly known for its names such as ‘Plan B’ or simply just ‘birth control pills’, these and multiple other options provided in today’s society. This medicine is most used to regulate women’s reproduction, and also, to help with various women’s health problems. Controversy, however, looms over this topic as this medicine can also prevent pregnancy if used within a time boundary after intercourse. Many people believe that life does begin at conception, and using such methods to prevent a pregnancy may be considered to be murder. Although, many potential problems can stem from an unplanned pregnancy. Many women may not be mentally or even physically ready to become a mother at that certain time. Even though birth control may have moral downfalls in some
“When a motherhood becomes the fruit of a deep yearning, not the result of ignorance or accident, its children will become the foundation of a new race." (Margaret Sanger, 1) Margaret Sanger, known as the founder of birth control, declared this powerful statement. It is reality that the rights that are customary for women in the twentieth century have been the product of the arduous physical and mental work of many courageous women. These individuals fought for the right for women to be respected in both mind and body by bestowing on them the rights to protect their femininity and to gain the equivalent respect given to men. A remarkable woman named Margaret Sanger is the individual who incredibly contributed to the feministic revolution that took place in the 1920’s. Her legacy of making the right to use birth control legal for woman is a precedent in history for the foundation of the equal rights battle that is still being fought today. By giving control back to the women in their sexuality, Margaret Sanger also restored confidence in those women who felt that their lives revolved around pregnancy. She has become an influential icon to women all around the world who enjoy the security of birth control that gives them the freedom in their sexuality on a daily bases.
...e where it belongs – on men” (Tone, 246). The social landscape at this point in America seems to be a stark contrast from where women were when Sanger and McCormick began their fight. In fact, Sanger and McCorkmick were adamant that contraception be entirely in the hands of women (May, 109). The whole purpose was to provide women with the ability to decide when and if they wanted to conceive, and that they should otherwise have a safe and effective means to prevent it. Women had come along so far in their right to be heard that what the pill had done to liberate them and give them control of their bodies was no longer enough in and of itself – it should be men who suffer the side effects just as much, if not more than they. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort; a safe, non-permanent male contraceptive was researched and tested quite extensively, but to no avail.
Ladies, say goodbye to doctor’s appointment, injections and mood swings because the male birth control will hit the market soon. Women have been using the pill since the contraceptive was first introduced in the 1960s. Although the pill granted women the power to be in charge of their own body, this also raised responsibility for the women. This news has become the equivalence to the women 1960s for men, however, there is a vast difference in views and attitudes towards the male birth control.
The use of contraception was never as widely proclaimed and flaunted as it is now. The use of contraception has become so conventional, that it is now typical for even teens to use contraceptives. Even sc...
As such means there have been many different methods of contraception that people have tried over time. Contraception knowledge has been something that has been passed down among families and women for generations. In 1960, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first form of oral contraception. “At first, it was not legally available to unmarried minors” (Browne 603). This means that a large majority of women did not have legal access to oral contraceptive pills. This poses a problem in that if women were considered a minor and wanted oral contraceptives then they did not have access to it. However, overtime changes were made and eventually it was legalized to everyone. One of the most significant changes came with the decision by the Supreme Court in Griswold V. Connecticut in 1965 (Browne 604). The decision ruled that Connecticut no longer had the right to ban married women from gaining access to contraception. This gave individual women more power over their own bodies despite what their husbands wanted or would say. This does not mean that the husband did not still have influence over the wives decisions but it was a step in the right
The use of various contraception methods (birth control patch, birth control shot etc.) can be used in this endeavor of reducing population growth by preventing unwanted pregnancies, thus decreasing the fertility rate (Health Federation Of America, 2014).