From the beginning of time and life, man has always been known to have some sort of birth control. Whether it be withdrawal, a concussion of natural herbs and plants or good old fashioned abstinence, it is in human nature to want to control the rate of birth fertility. However up until the Pill, no method has been proven so successful. Over the last forty years, the Pill has been swallowed as a daily routine by more humans than perhaps any other prescribed medication in the world. (Wattleton 16) What would be of our world without the Pill? The birth control pill introduced to the public in 1960 through the help of many great advocates changed the face of American sexuality, shaping American sex culture, and culture in general, as we know it today.
To truly appreciate and comprehend the birth control pill, one must fully understand the science of it. The pill, less than one inch long, has been single-handily credited with revolutionizing American sex culture. (Reed 2) But how? Birth Control pills are now available in several types and in more than twenty formulations. The most commonly used is the combination pills which contain synthetic versions of the two major female hormones: estrogen and progesterone. The estrogen helps to stabilize the lining of the uterus- the endometrium- so it is less likely to shed between menstrual cycles and cause breakthrough bleeding or spotting. The progesterone produces thick cervical mucus that prevents sperm from penetrating. (Riddle 100).
But what would have become of the science of the birth control pill without the great scientists and advocates that made it possible. The first man who played a very important role in the advent of birth control is Russell Marker. Marker never dreamed of contraception as a goal of his work. Instead, he merely wanted to find a low-cost elixir. Marker went to the jungles of Mexico where he dug up tons of thick roots.
