The Pill – a brief history
1960 was a turning point in the history of contraception. It was the year in which the first "Pill" was approved in the USA. Contraception based on hormones with a tablet taken orally was an entirely new method at the time. The launch of Anovlar® from Bayer Pharma AG (formerly Schering AG) soon followed in Europe in 1961.
In the wake of the social changes that took place in the Western industrialized countries in the late 1960s, bringing a new, more open attitude toward sexuality, the Pill, too, became more and more popular. Today, more than 60 million women worldwide use the Pill for contraception. Most birth-control pills today are combined preparations ("combined pills") containing two types of hormone: estrogen and progestin.
The Pill and traditional women's roles
In the early days, the new hormone preparation was only prescribed for married women, and then only if their husband consented. The prevailing attitude in society was that unmarried women should not have sexual intercourse and therefore did not "need" contraception.
Sexual awareness and the slump in the birth rate
The 1968 student movement and the major social changes associated with it eventually led to a change in attitudes in the 1970s. The breakdown of taboos, a new freedom to talk about sexuality, and women's self-determination in contraception led to a rapid spread of the Pill. To this day, the sharp decline in births in the 1970s is still called the "Pillenknick" in Germany.
The Pill in the 21st century
In the 1960s and 70s the first pills contained high hormone doses and often had severe side effects. Thanks to research and development, the hormone content has been gradually reduced since then. Modern combined pills are effective with a smaller hormone dose.
The Pill
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