FACTS about BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS HISTORY

Gregory Pincus was an American physician, biologist, and researcher during the 20th century. Early in his career he began studying hormonal biology and steroidal hormones, but his first breakthrough came in 1934 when was able to produce in vitro fertilization in rabbits. In 1953, Margaret Sanger and Katherine McCormick confronted Pincus with the idea of creating an oral contraceptive. He sought out Searle, a pharmaceutical company, about funding for their plan. Searle's initial reaction was 'no' because it jeopardized his company due to the austere birth control laws.

Despite the fact that Searle had no intention of creating an oral contraceptive, Frank Colton, a chemist at the company, accidentally developed a type of one. Enovid, the brand name of the first pill, was put on the market in 1957 as a menstrual regulator.

Pincus was allowed to have samples of the drug for his research and in 1957 The Pill was released as a treatment for gynecological disorders. Finally, in 1960, it became FDA approved and by 1963, 1.2 million women were using it. Rock was 70 years old when the birth control pill was approved. The birth control pill was introduced to the public in the early 1960s. Although Searle was originally reluctant to fund research for an oral contraceptive, he soon reaped the rewards of the newly invented Pill, and monopolized the industry for a short time.

Margaret Higgins Sanger Slee (1879 – 1966)
Margaret Sanger was an American birth control activist and the founder of the American Birth Control League. She was a lifelong advocate of women's rights and the use of birth control. During the 1930s, it was discovered that hormones prevented ovulation in rabbits. In 1950, while in her 80s, Sanger underwrote the research necessary to create the first human birth control pill. Sanger raised $150,000 for the project.

Katharine Dexter McCormick (1875 – 1967)
Katherine McCormick was a U.S. biologist, suffragist, philanthropist and, after her husband's death, heir to a substantial part of the McCormick fortune. She is well remembered today for funding most of the research necessary to develop the first birth control pill.

Dr Gregory Pincus (1903 – 1967)
Born in 1903 to Russian Jewish immigrants in Woodbine, New Jersey, Pincus won a scholarship to Cornell University, where he excelled in biology. He went on to land an appointment at Harvard as an assistant professor, and soon became known for his creative and innovative research in mammalian sexual physiology. Pincus was a rising star.
It was not an easy ride for Pincus. He had financial problems and found it difficult to gain support for his work from drug companies and universities. It was also illegal to provide contraception in Massachusetts at this time. Things changed when he met Margaret Sanger, a Catholic woman who was dedicated to birth control and her friend, the feminist graduate Katharine McCormick. McCormick provided ongoing financial support for the project.

Dr. John Rock (1890-1984)
When Gregory Pincus asked John Rock to collaborate with him on clinical trials for an oral contraceptive, Rock seemed an unlikely choice. The highly-regarded obstetrician and gynecologist, he was a devout Roman Catholic and a ground-breaking infertility specialist, who devoted much of his career to helping women with fertility problems to conceive.
At a time in his life when he could have been settling into comfortable retirement, Rock agreed to work with Pincus on the controversial project to create a "magic pill" contraceptive. As part of the infertility research at his clinic, Rock was able to conduct the first human trials for the Pill in Boston and sidestep Massachusetts' rigid anti-birth control law.

Frank Benjamin Colton (1923–2003)
Frank Colton was the inventor of Enovid, the first oral contraceptive. Frank B. Colton developed Enovid, the first oral contraceptive. Colton has made many important contributions to medicinal organic chemistry and particularly to steroid chemistry.
Of even greater importance was his research which resulted in the discovery of Enovid. The introduction of this substance in 1960 for family planning purposes ushered in the era of oral contraception.

Carl Djerassi (born 1923 in Vienna, Austria)
Carl Djerassi was the inventor of modern oral contraceptives or the pill. Carl Djerassi (born October 29, 1923 in Vienna, Austria), is an American chemist, novelist, and playwright best known for his contribution to the development of the first oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Djerassi is emeritus professor of chemistry at Stanford University.
Djerassi remarked that he did not have birth control in mind when he began working with progesterone—"not in our wildest dreams… did we imagine (it)".

Launched in 1960 in the US, the Pill was thought to be a "miracle" advance, which separated sex and procreation.
The contraceptive pill was launched in the US in 1960 and approved in the UK in 1961. The pill was originally available for married women only (between 1961 and 1967) who had gynecological problems, which led to unmarried women borrowing wedding rings in order to get a prescription. It became the popular contraceptive choice for women during the “swinging 60s” and gained 1.2 million users within the first two years of its launch. 2008 health statistics showed 4 million users in the UK and 60 million worldwide.

Enovid (USA) or Enavid (UK) was the first combined oral contraceptive pill. Developed by G. D. Searle & Company, it was first made available in the U.S. in 1957. Initially Enovid was marketed only for the treatment of menstrual disorders. In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an application to market it as a contraceptive. Just a few months later, in 1961, it was approved as a contraceptive in the UK.

FACTS TO KNOW about BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

	Birth control pills are extremely effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly and consistently. For example, only one in 1,000 women who use the pill as prescribed is likely to get pregnant in the first year of use.
	The pill works mainly by preventing ovulation or by thickening the mucus surrounding the cervix, which helps block sperm and thins the lining of the uterus so if an egg is fertilized, it would have trouble implanting. Discover everything about “Birth Control Pills” on next page.
	The pill is one of the most common forms of birth control. Among U.S. couples who use birth control, nearly one-third currently use birth control pills. Discover more about “Modern Contraception” on next page.
	The most serious side effect of the pill continues to be an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This risk is particularly high in certain groups, like women who smoke and are over 35. Discover more about “Birth Control Pills’ Risks and Side Effects” on next page.
	You may not know it, but the pill can help your health. For example, birth control pills can improve menstrual problems like heavy bleeding, pelvic cramps and pain, premenstrual syndrome and irregular cycles. They can prevent loss of bone density and reduce the risk of ovarian cysts. Pill use can also protect you from uterine and ovarian cancer. Discover more about “Birth Control Pills’ Benefits” on next page.
	The Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive Experience (Women's CARE) study indicated that present or past use among both Caucasian and African-American women ages 36 to 64 did not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. Check more on next page - “Pills and Cancer”.
	Birth control pills sometimes can provoke vaginal yeast infection – check on next page “Pills and Yeast Infection”.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER while using BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

	Most secure and safe contraception is Dual Contraception which considers using birth control pills and male condom at the same time.
	Consider having another form of birth control, like spermicidal foam and condoms, on hand in case you forget to take a pill.
	Always compensate immediately any missed pill – discover all instructions in “Pills – Missed Pills”
	Try to carry your pills with you if you don't always sleep at the same place.
	Take your pill at the same time every day. If you are using the patch, replace your patch weekly on the same day. If you are using the vaginal ring, remove it after three weeks of use.
	Never forget to get in advance the additional package of your birth control pills – ready for next month. Don't wait until the last minute to request refills.
	You need back up if in addition you need to use antibiotics or other drugs. Discover more about “Pills and Antibiotics” and about “Birth control pills’ interaction with other drugs” on next pages.
	Birth control pills, patches, and vaginal rings are all medications with certain side effects and interactions with other drugs. Always tell your doctor or pharmacist you are on the pill, patch, or vaginal ring if you see him or her for any reason.