The great equaliser of the sexes, or another burden placed on women? Few medical innovations have proved as controversial as “the pill”. But, love it or loathe it, it has been a major driver of social and economic change in Britain.
Developed in the 1950s by doctors Gregory Pincus and John Rock, the contraceptive pill was first licensed for use in America in 1960. The following year, Enovid 10, as it was medically known, became available on the NHS on 4 December 1961. But not for everyone. Legally, it was only allowed to be prescribed to older women, many of whom had children already and didn't wish to add to their numbers.
Then in 1967, the rules were relaxed until, shock of all horrors, single, unmarried women could take the pill a move that led to much frowning in some sections of society. Around 50,000 British women were taking the pill in 1962, but by the end of the decade, that number had risen to a million.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The combination of the hormones oestrogen and progestin allowed many women to push back their childbearing years to concentrate on other things such as education and careers. It heralded a cultural shift, better known as the “Swinging Sixties”. In fact, you might say it was more of a cultural earthquake, since a much reduced risk of falling pregnant removed much of the impetus to get married. The era of the “co-habiting couple” had well and truly begun.
But the pill is still not without its detractors. Some argue that society has swung too far the other way from its rigid views on sex, and now expects all women to take the pill – a view that places an unfair, even misogynist, burden on women.
Then there have been the frequent health scares over the years that actually led to a decline in its use in the early 1980s. But then again, there have also been health benefits attributed to its use, with reduced risk of ovarian cancer, for example. Perhaps with as much to its medical pros and cons, we've yet to fully appreciate how the little white pill has changed society in Britain.
-
Will the Bitcoin price hit $100,000?With Bitcoin prices trading just below $100,000, we explore whether the cryptocurrency can hit the milestone.
-
Inheritance tax receipts jump 11% even before Autumn Budget overhaulOfficial figures show inheritance tax receipts are rising even before the chancellor’s changes to reliefs
-
31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UKFeatures On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
-
13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launchedFeatures On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
-
9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar Square
Features On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
-
3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is created
Features On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
-
10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
-
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
-
8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formed
Features On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
-
7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
