Planned Parenthood and the "Pill"

For many years now, the most popular form of birth control has been referred to as the "pill."   Numerous people in the medical field contributed to the creation and development of this contraceptive all throughout the 1950s.  It was eventually approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in May of 1960 and first sold that same year.

Without Planned Parenthood though, the birth control movement would not have been nearly as successful as it was.  Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization providing female and reproductive health services, established in 1921 by Margaret Sanger.  Sanger set out on a mission and successfully accomplished her main goal- an easy contraceptive in the form of a pill.  This first "pill" was named Envoid, and within the first 5 years, one in every four women had used the "pill."


Not only did Sanger and the others who were part of the organization have a huge impact on the success of the contraceptive pill, but they had a significant impact on both the women's and birth control movements as well.  The effects that the establishment of the "pill" had on women has forever altered their feeling of control and freedom in their own lives.

Now, instead of having intercourse and not being able to control pregnancy, women have a very effective means of controlling it.  They were able to be more free to sexual intercourse without the consequence of pregnancy every time they did so.  This was so beneficial to women and their husbands because they were now able to sort of "plan" their families.  If a woman wanted to make love to her husband but they were not ready to have children of their own, they could do that.







sources:
http://www.fda.gov/
http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=3137
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-successes.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/gallery/gal_pill_01.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/peopleevents/p_sanger.html
http://www.women-health-info.com/218-Birth-control-pills-facts.html(picture)