Birth control pillIn 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a pill as safe for birth control use. In 1953, Margaret Sanger, a legendary birth control crusader gave Dr. Gregory Pincus $150,000 to continue his prior research and develop a safe and effective oral contraceptive for women. The original version contained at least five times the estrogen that it does today, and ten times the progestin. Reductions addressed early medical problems, mainly with dangerous blood clots. The pill, now the most common form of birth control used by millions of women, is about 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. After 40 years, U.S. women still need a doctor's prescription, but the pill is available over-the-counter in many other countries.[Image: pills in a modern calendar package] |
