“The Pill”
Before the 20th century, parents worried about whether their children would live past childhood. It was not uncommon for children to die from diseases and infections during their childhood, preventing them from reaching maturity. To increase the chances of at least several of their children surviving, most parents beared many children. However, antiseptics and antibiotics became increasingly common in the 20th century, resulting in a decrease in infant and child mortality rates. Parents no longer had to be concerned if their children would reach adulthood, so they began to limit their family size. To limit family size, they relied on contraceptives. In the early days of contraceptives, common household products such as parsley, mint, ivy, willows, and flowers among others were consumed.
The first oral contraceptive was norethindrone, a steroid. Just like all other steroids, norethindrone consists of a series
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The first making of birth control was actually an accident by Russell Marker who was experimenting with steroids, not intending to create a contraceptive. In 1916, two years after coining the term “birth control”, Sanger opened her first health clinic to distribute information on contraceptives and to distribute oral contraceptives themselves. Soon thereafter, however, the clinic was closed and Sanger was arrested for violating Comstock Laws which prohibited the advertisement and sale of contraceptives. It was not until the latter half of the 20th century in 1960 when the FDA approved birth control and in 1965, the Supreme Court ruled that married couples have the right to contraception in Griswold v. Connecticut. Today, the use of contraceptives is relatively common. They are used for various reasons including but not limited to regulating menstrual cycles, controlling acne, preventing pregnancy, and reducing the risk of ovarian