The Woman Behind the Pill
by Laura Lambert
In August, 48 years ago, Planned Parenthood Federation of America agreed to distribute birth control pills in its clinics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the pill in June of that year. It was a landmark day for Planned Parenthood — but especially for one woman, founder Margaret Sanger. Sanger spent half her life trying to find a “magic pill” that would help women prevent unintended pregnancies.
Sanger was in her 70s by the time her vision of a birth control pill became a reality. In 1951, she met scientist and researcher Gregory Pincus, who had experience working with synthetic hormones. Over the next several years, Sanger, along with her collaborator Katharine Dexter McCormick, worked tirelessly behind the scenes, to provide support for the scientific research and development that culminated with the pill.
After the 1960s, the pill took the country — and then the world — by storm. Just nine years after the pill hit the market, one out of every four married women in America under the age of 45 had used it. And by 1984 that number would reach 50–80 million worldwide.
Today 100 million women use the pill worldwide each year. The pill helped bring about the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and it has changed the lives of countless women and men across the globe. And while Sanger is most often remembered as the founder of Planned Parenthood, many believe that her role in making the idea of a birth control pill into a reality was the greatest achievement of her career. Not only did Sanger fight for and win the right for women to use contraception, she helped give them one of the most powerful, safe, and effective tools to do so.
Published: 08.18.08
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