Fifty years ago yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the birth control pill.
Health care experts and student advocates celebrate the monumental anniversary of an event they say gave women control over their bodies, but they recognize that there are still social and political obstacles to overcome.
“This was a milestone in women’s lives,” said Colleen Jones, women’s health nurse practitioner at the University Health Center. “It’s important students have the right information and know that we’re here for them.”
The pill has seen vast improvements since its approval in 1960. The original medication, Enovid, contained more estrogen and progesterone than newer birth control pills, meaning that newer pills are safer for women to use.
“It’s very safe and effective for most women,” Jones said.
Jones is concerned about misconceptions still surrounding the pill, an oral contraceptive.
She said women worry the pill will decrease their fertility, increase their risk for cancer and make them gain weight. Women also worry that they will have a greater risk for blood clots because of Yaz commercials and other media misconceptions, Jones said.
A study published in the March edition of the British Medical Journal found that women on the pill are less likely to die from cancer and heart disease. This study of 46,000 women conducted over 40 years is one of the world’s largest studies of the pill.
“It’s important for people to know it’s one of the most extensively researched medications in the history of medicine,” Jones said.
One other issue that has not improved over the past five decades is the rate of unintended pregnancies. Half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and that’s about the same as 50 years ago, Jones said.
“Our goal is to encourage correct and consistent use,” she said.
The downside of the pill is that it has to be taken on a daily basis, whereas other birth control methods don’t require such frequent dosages, such as intrauterine devices (IUDs).
“The more options available, the better. We’re all different,” Jones said.
The health center’s Family Planning Expansion Project is getting extended, and students can qualify for a grant that will make it easier to get contraceptives and afford annual exams.
The pill has several medical uses, including acne treatment, shorter periods and less painful cramps, Jones said.
“There’s no medical reason to have a period once a month on the pill,” she said. “I expect women to feel like their normal selves on the pill.”
The pill is not only a medical treatment, but a tool for empowering women, student advocates said.
“This was a monumental historical event that made it so women could worry less about getting pregnant,” Erin Howe, Students for Choice co-director, said. “It gave them control over their own bodies.”
Students for Choice is gathering signatures on its petition to get eliminate crisis pregnancy centers in Oregon. These centers, two of which are located near the University campus, are federally funded and have religious influence. Critics, including Howe, say they often give women false information.
“Our group advocates for getting issues passed through,” Howe said. “Students need to think about the impact of their ability to access birth control … We have to make sure we all have access. There are still ways we can improve.”
[email protected]