
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
1. Early Innovation, Ancient Egypt:
Before any oral contraceptives were introduced, Ancient Egyptian women took on the task of sexual protection themselves. They used cotton, dates, honey and acacia as a suppository, which when fermented, has a spermicidal effect.
2. Privacy, Please, 1873:
The passing of the Comstock Act prohibited advertisements, information, and distribution of birth control and allowed the postal service to confiscate contraceptive devices sold through the mail. This created a major hurdle for any further medical advances.
3. A Rightful Concern, 1914 – 1936:
Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League (later becoming Planned Parenthood), dedicating her life to the cause. She helped file a lawsuit that led the Court to rule that the federal government could not interfere with doctors providing contraception to their patients.
4. Work in Progress, 1951:
Tired of waiting for science to comply, Sanger sought out a team to make birth control as easy as taking an aspirin. Gregory Pincus supplied the medical expertise, while Katherine McCormick, a women's rights activist and heiress to a fortune, funded the research. Their trial run in Puerto Rico proved the pill successful in blocking ovulation.
5. Halfway There, 1957:
Mission accomplished — almost. The FDA approved the pill, but only for severe menstrual disorders, not as a contraceptive. In turn, an unusually large number of women reported having such disorder, making it clear accessible birth control should be a priority.
6. Victory at Last, 1960:
Finally, the FDA approved the first oral contraceptive, Enovid, beginning a new sexual revolution for women. The pill, like it is often seen today, represented women's rights and a generational change — the freedom to enjoy sex and make choices regarding doing so.
7. Trouble Brews, 1965:
With success came controversy — despite 6.5 million women being on the pill in just its first five years, the Pope and the Catholic Church remained against the pill. Barbara Seaman also published The Doctor's Case Against the Pill, exposing side effects of the pill, including risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke, depression, weight gain and loss of libido. By 1979, sales dropped by 24 percent.
8. The New Era, 1988:
The original high-dose pill was taken off the market as the FDA showed health benefits from newer versions of the pills — these include a decreased risk of ovarian cancer, iron deficiency anemia and pelvic inflammatory disease. This more closely resembled the pill we know today.
9. A Way of Life, 2000:
Working women, rejoice: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that prescription contraception must be covered by health insurance offered by employers. Further medical developments occur, like Seasonale, giving women only four periods a year, and Lybrel, eliminating periods completely.
10. Still Fighting, 2014:
Over fifty years since its original FDA approval, over 100 million women are taking this tiny tablet daily. But opposition still remains, with some companies challenging the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate, which requires insurance policies to cover birth control without a copay (despite most insurance covering Viagra). Still, the pill lives up to Sanger's original version — giving women control.
Photo Credits: Getty Images
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Yes, You Can Apply Retinol To Your Whole Body—Not Just Your Face
A dermatologist gives us the run-down.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
Inside One of the Most Exclusive and Dazzling Health Spas in the U.S.
The Golden Door in Southern California costs tens of thousands of dollars for a weeklong stay—and donates 100 percent of its proceeds to nonprofits.
By Michelle Stansbury
-
Kendall Jenner’s Hair at the Schiaparelli Fashion Show Was Easily Six Inches Tall
The model and 818 founder closed the runway.
By Samantha Holender
-
Senator Klobuchar: "Early Detection Saves Lives. It Saved Mine"
Senator and breast cancer survivor Amy Klobuchar is encouraging women not to put off preventative care any longer.
By Senator Amy Klobuchar
-
How Being a Plus-Size Nude Model Made Me Finally Love My Body
I'm plus size, but after I decided to pose nude for photos, I suddenly felt more body positive.
By Kelly Burch
-
I'm an Egg Donor. Why Was It So Difficult for Me to Tell People That?
Much like abortion, surrogacy, and IVF, becoming an egg donor was a reproductive choice that felt unfit for society’s standards of womanhood.
By Lauryn Chamberlain
-
The 20 Best Probiotics to Keep Your Gut in Check
Gut health = wealth.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Simone Biles Is Out of the Team Final at the Tokyo Olympics
She withdrew from the event due to a medical issue, according to USA Gymnastics.
By Rachel Epstein
-
The Truth About Thigh Gaps
We're going to need you to stop right there.
By Kenny Thapoung
-
3 Women On What It’s Like Living With An “Invisible” Condition
Despite having no outward signs, they can be brutal on the body and the mind. Here’s how each woman deals with having illnesses others often don’t understand.
By Emily Shiffer
-
The High Price of Living With Chronic Pain
Three women open up about how their conditions impact their bodies—and their wallets.
By Alice Oglethorpe