Explained: The History Of Birth Control Pills And Other Alternative

Birth Control Pills contain synthetic hormones which stop ovulation. Often causing nausea, headaches, weight gain, and loss of libido. Higher doses of these synthetic hormones of estrogen may cause blood clots too.

Before the pills were released in the market. It underwent human trials. Women who underwent the experiment were not aware of such a trial. A Netflix documentary Sex Explained, documents that in the 1960s. the US government’s initiative to control the population in developing countries through sterilisation allowed an inhumane experiment. Women in countries like Puerto Rico were given these birth control pills. The dosage of hormones was ten times the hormones that were actually required.

While the pill worked wonders, it also caused many women to face side effects, some were life-threatening. More than 10 years later, the cases were finally brought to the US government.

American author, feminist activist and journalist Barbara Seaman also covered the case and published a report called The Doctors' Case Against The Pill. The report mentioned that women who consumed these pills underwent many side effects, including heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

An all-male panel invited men to testify for the birth-control pills. The Netflix documentary notes that women were not heard for the case, as a response they invited themselves. “I would like to know why is that the scientists and drug companies are perfectly willing to use women as guinea pigs and experiment testing the higher estrogen, low estrogen content of the pill," said one of the women.

Finally, in 1980, a lower dose of the hormonal pill was released, however, the side effects still existed.

As the IUD hit the market, a new kind, known as the Dalkon Shield was also released in 1971. Loretta Ross- a black woman who had the Dalkon Shield inserted shared about her experience in the Netflix documentary.

For the first few months, the IUD worked, however, she started to develop some serious infections. Being a black woman, she was subjected to prejudices. Judged for “being available,” and thus the OB/GYN concluded that it was STI, despite the negative test results.

One night, she lapsed into a coma and she found herself to be in the hospital when she opened her eyes. The Dalkon Shield was removed because it had a design flaw. Its thick string worked as a ladder for bacteria to climb into her uterus, resulting in serious infections.

While the shield was pulled out of the market in 1975, 3.3 million women had already used it by then, with 18 reported deaths.

It was also revealed that the makers knew about the design flaw six months before the release.

The idea of male contraception was also discussed and by 1970s, there were some promising news about it. Times Wire Services reported that a birth control pill for men was found that caused "no loss in sexual drive." It was successfully tested by two Australian biochemists. "In the test, four of the five men stopped producing sperm within nine weeks. The fifth stopped in 15 weeks of treatment," the report read.

However, as the studies went on till 2018, the pill never made it to market. In November 2016, Susan Scutti reported in CNN that the study was cut short due to the side effects of the pill. The report Male birth control shot found effective, but side effects cut the study short. Another report by NPR titled Male Birth Control Study Killed After Men Report Side Effects also seconded the claim.

While for women, those who are on birth control pills are prone to headaches, breast tenderness, acne, nausea, weight gain, irregular menstruation, mood changes, and decreased libido.