Episode 6 - Pill Panic

Is birth control the best thing to ever happen to women, or are we guinea pigs in the world’s largest experiment? Is voicing qualms about the pill in today’s climate a betrayal to women? When it comes to birth control, the talking points - and the options - have remained largely unchanged for decades. Is it time for a change?

Episode 6 of Anecdotal explores the public opinion - past and present - of hormonal birth control. From being blamed for promiscuity, to being hailed by eugenists as the cure to social ills, to accusations that it took away women’s only “morally neutral reason” for turning down sex, the pill has elicited criticism from all areas of the political spectrum for over 60 years.

Also discussed: the forthcoming SCOTUS decision on mifepristone and what an AHM win could mean for the FDA’s authority.

Special thanks to Jonathan Skourletos for the audio production support.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy the following:

• Populate and Perish: Australian Women’s Fight for Birth Control (1990) — Captivating and detailed account of Australia’s history with birth control. Must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about this topic.

• What’s Missing in the Debate Over Women Ditching Birth Control (2024) — A refreshing bit of sanity amidst the noise and confusion of the birth control debate. Worth signing up for Rina Raphael’s substack!

• Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion (2024) — As promised, the infamous Washington Post article that prompted a 20 minute rant for me on this week’s episode.

• Association of Hormonal Contraception With Depression (2016) — Danish study linking all forms of hormonal contraception to a higher risk of depression.

Episode Sources

1. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-235/279230/20230908165000535_USFDA%20et%20al.%20v.%20Alliance%20for%20Hippocratic%20Medicine%20et%20al.%20Petition.pdf

2. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41110699?seq=1

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3884362/

4. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/cc/2e/cc2e84f2-126f-41a5-a24b-43e093c47b2c/210414-sanger-opposition-claims-p01.pdf

5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/11/06/lesser-known-history-birth-control/

6. Populate and Perish: Australian Women’s Fight for Birth Control (1990)

7. https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUJlGendLaw/2009/3.pdf

8. https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/public-attitudes-about-birth-control&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1713703847842292&usg=AOvVaw30Cq-vHWYKngUYDgA_8Nou

9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27680324/

10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9218393/

11. https://www.nytimes.com/1970/02/25/archives/panic-and-pregnancies-linked-to-senate-inquiry-on-birth-pill.html

12. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/09/02/u-s-catholics-open-to-non-traditional-families/

13. https://www.smh.com.au/national/little-pill-that-changed-the-world-20100507-ujo8.html

14. https://www.statnews.com/2021/12/06/patients-doctors-clashing-side-effects-hormonal-birth-control/

15. https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/reddit-an-emerging-source-for-information-on-birth-control

16. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-allows-marketing-first-direct-consumer-app-contraceptive-use-prevent-pregnancy

17. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/12/from-the-observer-archive-the-state-of-contraception-1985