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A Brief History of Birth Cont rol in the U.S.

By Kirsten M.J. Thompson, Ou r Bodies Ourselves, December 14, 2013

https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book -excerpts/health -article/a -brief -history -of-birth -control/

BH edits , additions in red ; long passages in red are quoted from https://www.fpa.org.uk/factsheets/contraception -

past -present -future and use standard British spellin g as in the original.

People have long tried many methods to prevent pregnancy. Prior to modern methods of birth control, they

relied on withdrawal or pe riodic abstinence. These methods often failed.

The follow ing paragraphs are all from fpa.org .uk , selected and organiz ed by me ; in black to be easier on the eyes:

For thousands of years women have inserted fruit acids, jellies, pastes and various mixtures into their vagina

in an attempt to prevent conception. Environments that are either sharply acidic or alkaline are hosti le to

sperm and therefore these methods may have had some effect.

Oral contraceptives date back more than 2000 years. Early preparations varied from eating willow shoots and

bees to consuming the internal scrapings of male deer horns.

There is little proof about the origins of IUDs, but there is evidence that ancient Greeks used some form of

device.

For centuries, many items such as leaves, lemons and sponges were used as vaginal barriers. Sponges have

continued to be used in one form or another up to the present day with the development of spermicide -

releasing sponge .

Periodic abstinence has been used as a birth control method ever since it was first discovered that sexual

intercourse led to pregnancy. In the mid -19th century, Von Baer identified the female ova, and in the 1930s

studies by Ogino in Japan and Knaus in Austria showed when ovulation and th us fertilisation occurred. This

knowledge enabled improved calculation of the fertile and infertile times of a woman’s menstrual cycle. The

Ogino –Knaus theory, which became known as the Calendar Method in 1934, was promoted by the Roman

Catholic faith, whi ch continues to denounce all artificial birth control methods.

Since the 1600s, vaginal douches have been used after intercourse as contraceptives but are not [now]

recommended as either safe or effective.

Around 3000 B.C. Condoms made from such materials as fish bladders, linen sheaths, and animal intestines.

Around 1500 First spermicides introduced which used condoms made from linen cloth sheaths , soaked in a

chemical solution and dried before using.

1564 Gabriello Fallopius recommended a moistened linen sheath for protection against STIs.

18 40s -50s After discovery of the vulcanization process by Goodyear, condoms and diaphragms made from

vulcanized rubber.

1868 Cervico –uterine stems were developed. These were small button/cap shapes attached to stems, made of a

number of different material s, which extended into the cervix.

1873 The Comstock Act passed in the United States prohibiting advertisements, information, and distribution of

birth control and allowing the postal service to confiscate birth control sold through the mail. Thompson, A Brief History of Birth Control in the U.S. – page 2 of 4

1882 Dr C Hasse (pseudonym was Wilhelm Mesinga) credited with inventing the diaphragm.

1883 Aletta Jacobs, a Dutch doctor, described a vulcanised rubber cap. Known as the Dutch cap, it had an integral

circular watchspring and covered the upper vagina and cervix.

The introduction of the diaphragm into Victorian England contributed to the emancipation of women, allowing

them to control their own fertility for the first time

1885 The first commercial vaginal suppository using cocoa butter and quinine sulphate was developed by Walter

Rendell, an English pharmacist. This was later replaced by hydroquinine, a more potent spermicide, and sponges

soaked in quinine sulphate.

early 1900s Female condoms (‘Capote Anglais’ or Feminine Sheaths) made of rubber were first available.

1906 Friedrich Merz developed the first known commercially produced spermicidal jelly, called Patentex.

1909 The first specifically designed IUD (a ring of silk -worm gut) was made by Dr R Richter.

1916 Margaret Sanger opens first birth control clinic in the United States. The next year she was deemed guilty of

maintaining a public nuisance and sentenced to jail for 30 days. Once released, she re -opened her clinic and

continued to persevere through more arrests and prosecutions.

1930s Numerous chemicals were investigated for potential spermicides. The work led to the setting up of

standardised testing of spermicides and their effectiveness. During the 1950s, more effective chemicals such as

nonoxinol -9 were developed.

1930s Crepe rubber was replaced by lat ex [in condoms] .

1930s and 1940s Improved understanding of ovulation and temperature changes led to development and use of

the temperature method.

1938 In a case involvi ng Margaret Sanger, a judge lifted the federal ban on birth control, ending the Comstock era.

Diaphragms, also known as womb veils, became a popular method of birth control.

1945 Syntex SA was established to produce steroids from diosgenin (a plant steroid in Mexican yam s) and search

for compounds which could be administered orally.

1950 While in her 80s, Sanger underwrote the research necessary to create the first human birth control pill. She

raised $150,000 for the project.

1950s Work by Gregory Pincus, Carl Djerassi, John Rock and others resulted in the development of oral

contraceptives .

1956 Clinical trials of oral contraceptives began.

1957 Norethynodrel, mestranol and norethindrone (with estrogen) were approved by the United States Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) for menstrual disorders.

1960 The first oral contraceptive, Enovid, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as

contracept ion.

1960s Plastic IUDs were developed (Lippes Loop, Marguilies Spiral, Saf -T-Coil).

1960s The first hormonal preparations [for emergency contraception] used high doses of estrogen alone, taken

over five days. Thompson, A Brief History of Birth Control in the U.S. – page 3 of 4

1964 Following research into cyclical changes in cervical mucus, the Billings method (also known as ovulation or

cervical mucus method) was introduced.

1965 The Supreme Court (in Griswold v. Connecticut) gave married couples the right to use birth control, ruling that

it was protected in the Constitution as a right to privacy. However, millions of unmarried women in 26 states were

still denied birth control.

1967 The development of contraceptive hormone -filled silastic capsules which could be implanted under the skin

started in America.

1968 FDA approved intrauterine devices (IUDs), bringing early versions like the Lippes Loop and Copper 7 to

market.

1969 Copper IUDs were introduced.

1970 Feminists challenged the safety of oral contraceptives (the Pill) at well -publicized Congressional hearings. As a

result, the formulation of the Pill was changed, and the package insert for prescription drugs came into being.

1970s Combined estrogen and progestogen (called the Yuzpe regimen [for emergency contraception] ) replaced

estrogen used alone.

1972 The Supreme Court (in Baird v. Eisenstadt) legalized birth control for all citizens of this country, irrespective of

marital status.

1974 The FDA suspe nded sale of the Dalkon Shield IUD due to infections and seven documented deaths among

users. Although other IUD designs were not implicated, most IUDs were slowly taken off the US market due to the

escalating costs of lawsuits in subsequent years.

1980s Pills with low doses of hormones were introduced, along with a new copper IUD, ParaGard (1998).

(CuT380a). Growing awareness of the Yuzpe regimen for emergency contraception.

1990s Introduction of Norplant, the first contraceptive implant (1990 ),DepoProver a, an injectable method (1992),

FC1/Reality, a female condom (1993) and Plan B, and a dedicated emergency contraceptive product (1999).

1990s The sympto -ther mal method combines all fertility indicators and is highly effective. Various devices are now

available which monitor changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle, based on changes in temperature, urinary

hormones or saliva.

1992 Polyurethane female condoms designed to line the vagina were introduced in the UK [also U.S .?]

1996 Hormonal -releasing devices (intrauterine systems) introduced.

1997 First polyurethane condom launched in the UK: stronger, less sensitive to heat and humidity, and not

damaged by oil -based lubricants.

2000s Rapid expansion in method availability and improvements in safety and effectiveness, including introduction

of Mir ena, a new levonorgestrel -releasing IUD (2000), Ortho Evra, a hormonal patch (2001), Nuvaring, a vaginal ring

(2001), Essure, a method of transcervical female sterilization (2002), Implanon, a single -rod implant (2006), and

FC2, an improved female condom ( 2009).

2002 The first implant, Norplant, is taken off the US market. Thompson, A Brief History of Birth Control in the U.S. – page 4 of 4

2009 The first combined pi ll (Qlaira) to contain estradiol valerate (a synthetic estrogen) and dienogest (a new

progestogen) became available. Qlaira has a quadraphasic dosage regimen, with 26 active tablets with a sequence

of reducing estrogen and increasing progestogen dose, foll owed by two placebo tablets.

The monthly regimen of 21 active pills containing estrogen and progestogen, followed by a seven -day break of no

pills (or seven placebo tablets) was created to promote a monthly withdrawal bleed and so mimic the menstrual

cycle . Continuous use of COCs reduces the number of monthly bleeds. Various formulations are being researched

which vary the number of days of use. Seasonale was approved for use in the US in 2009 and is taken continuously

for three months (84 days).

2009 NuvaRing, a combined estrogen and progestogen ring became available. It is used for three weeks, followed

by seven hormone -free days. (Contraceptive vaginal rings containing contraceptive hormones have been studied

since the early 1970s. )

2010s Ella, a new emergency contraceptive pill (2010) and Skyla, a new levonorgestrel -releasing IUD (2013) are

introduced. Growing use of the copper IUD for emergency contraception.

2013 After protracted regulatory and legal battles, one brand of emergency contraceptive pill (Plan B One -Step)

becomes available without a prescription on drug store shelves.

Today More research is needed on woman -controlled methods that protect against STIs and birth control for men.

Barriers to accessing reliable contraception remain for women worldwide.

Further reading from https://www.fpa.org.uk/factsheets/contraception -past -present -future :

Blacker CP, Voluntary Sterilisation (Oxford University Press, 1934).

Dickens E, Immaculate Contraception: The extraordinary story of birth control from the first fumbling s to the present

day (London: Robson, 2000).

Djerassi C, From the Lab into the World: A pill for people, pets and bug s (American Chemical Society, 1994).

FPA, Choose What You Use: The FPA Essential Guide to Contraception (FPA, 2010).

Fryer P, The Birth Controllers (Secker and Warburg, 1965).

Green S, The Curious History of Contraception (Ebury Press, 1971).

Jutte R, Contraception: A History (Polity Press, 2008).

Marks L, Sexual Chemistry: A history of the contraceptive pill (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001).

McLaren A, A History of Contraception: From Antiquity to the Present Day (Blackwell, 1990).

Nas s S and Strauss JF eds, New Frontiers in Contraceptive Research: A blueprint for action (Washington DC: National

Academic Press, 2004).

Robertson WH, An Illustrated History of Contraception (Parthenon, 1991).

Stopes M, Contraception, Theory, History and Pr actice (John Gale and Sons, 1929).