Social importance of contraception
Preventing unwanted pregnancy has been an important issue for women and their families all over the world for many hundreds of years. For a long time sexuality was closely linked to reproduction. No reliable methods of contraception were available which would enable women to decide for themselves whether and when they wanted to become pregnant. The fact that more than 2,000 years ago women tried to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy – for example with certain plant extracts – illustrates how great the need for self-determination in contraception has always been.
With the development of oral hormonal contraceptives, the so-called "Pill", in the early 1960s, women finally had access to a (comparatively) revolutionary method of contraception.
The Pill is one of the most important inventions in the field of contraception and is regarded as one of the key pharmaceutical innovations of the last century. The Pill fundamentally changed women's role in partnerships – and in society. It gave women more sexual freedom and enabled them to plan their lives independently.
Since the 1960s, the widespread use of contraceptives in general, and the Pill in particular, has also had a huge impact on family planning and the birth rate. Whereas in the mid-19th century a married woman gave birth to an average of six children, the figure has since fallen to 2.6 according to the United Nations 2005 global birth statistics. In industrialized countries, a woman now has 1.6 children on average.
With our Information Portal we would like to inform you about important aspects of the contraceptive pill (and in particular the combined pill), including the risks, and help you choose the method of contraception that suits you best.
Contraception
Click here for more information about contraception.
