The Birth Control Pill 1955 – Preventing Unwanted Pregnancy

Birth control pills are regarded as one of the most important medical advances of the twentieth century. By preventing pregnancy easily and effectively, they enabled more women to attend university and enter the workforce.

In the 1930s, it was discovered that the high progesterone concentrations present during normal pregnancy could stop the menstrual cycle in a nonpregnant body, causing it to behave as though pregnant. The American chemists Carl Djerassi and Frank Colton independently discovered ways to produce chemical compounds that mimic natural progesterone. The American biologist Gregory Pincus confirmed that progesterone injections prevented the release of eggs from the ovaries of mammals.

In developing hormonal pills for birth control in humans, the prominent birth control advocate Margaret Sanger helped provide Pincus with the necessary funding. Pincus chose Colton's formula and, in 1955, announced clinical trial results with his colleagues demonstrating the pill's effectiveness.

In addition to preventing ovulation, birth control prevents sperm from entering the uterus and the egg from implanting in it through changes in cervical mucus. The pill was approved for birth control in the United States in 1960, and the pharmaceutical company Searle gave the drug the name “Enovid”.

The original formula also contained estrogen and could cause some unwanted side effects, but modern formulations (with reduced hormone doses) have been found to lower the risk of ovarian, endometrial and colon cancers. In general, women who smoke have been observed to have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke while taking the pill.

Today, different hormonal formulations are available, including those containing only progesterone.

In 1968, Pope Paul VI condemned artificial birth control. Although acceptance of the pill was rapid in the United States, its spread was slower. For example, using the pill was not legal in Connecticut until 1972.

Historical Figures Mentioned in the Article: Margaret Higgins Sanger Slee (1879–1966), Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Montini; 1897–1978), Gregory Pincus (1903–1967), Frank Benjamin Colton (1923–2003), Carl Djerassi (b. 1923)

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