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Praising the birth control pill
One tablet, once a day: that routine is followed by as many as 80 million women worldwide to prevent pregnancy. The birth control pill, simply known as the pill, was the first drug to be approved for healthy women. When it first came on the Canadian market in the 1960s, feminists hailed it as a medical breakthrough while the Pope condemned its use as immoral. The pill would be one of the most significant developments of the 20th century.
The first generation of the pill contains very high doses of the female sex hormones, progestin and estrogen. Some side effects include excessive menstrual bleeding, nausea, weight gain, skin outbreaks and in some cases blood clots. Dr. Edris Rice-Wray, who headed the first large scale clinical trials on the island of Puerto Rico in 1956, concludes the pill has too many side effects to be generally acceptable.
Despite her reservations, support for the pill remains strong. It's as easy as taking an aspirin says Dr. Tyler, putting aside concerns over the pill's side effects. Instead, Dr. Tyler talks about some of the pill's "desirable side effects" such as weight gain, breast enlargement and regular menstrual cycle.
• Studies have linked the use of both the high-dose and low-dose birth control pill to blood clots, stroke and cancer. Women smokers over the age of 35 are particularly sensitive the pill's side effects.
Program: Assignment
Broadcast Date: May 4, 1964
Guest(s): Dr. E.T. Tyler
Host: Jim McLean
Duration: 7:29
Last updated: February 3, 2012
Page consulted on March 22, 2013
All Clips from this Topic
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A nod to some early pioneers of the birth control movement in Canada.
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The miracle tablet is hailed as the remedy for everything from the pop...
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Dr. John Rock, co-developer of the
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Birth control pill spurs changing sexual attitudes among Canadians.
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An in-depth visit with Dr. John Rock, considered the inventor of the c...
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Discussing the latest developments in birth control methods.
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The Pope's condemnation of the pill lead to a crisis in the Catholic C...
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Canadians offer up different views on the pill on the streets of Vanco...
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The law finally catches up with the times.
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Examining the little tablet's monumental impact.
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Dr. Djerrasi talks about his contribution to the birth control pill.
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The report concludes that the birth control pill has no long-term ill ...
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The pill keeps chugging along.
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One tablet, once a day: that routine is followed by as many as 80 mill...