Overview

The conception of the birth control pill in 1956 was the beginning of a social and ethical reproductive revolution as well as the beginning of controversial debates that still continue. While groups throughout history had supported birth control and abortion, it was not until John Rock (1890-1984), Gregory Pincus (1903-1967), and others developed the pill that the era began. In 1961 Jack Lippes devised a flexible plastic intrauterine device (IUD) that ushered in an era of effectiveness as well as some controversy. A defective IUD called the Dalkon Shield clouded the IUD with concerns for safety. Implants were developed around 1990 and are still being researched. The advent of birth control coincided with a period in history of social unrest and the origin of many movements against establishment ideas. The rise of the feminist movement and of equal...