One Small Pill That Created a Big Shift

March marks Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the milestones that have shaped and expanded what’s possible for women everywhere. From boardrooms to college campuses and beyond, a single medical breakthrough expanded women’s freedom to determine if, when, and under what circumstances to have a child. 

A Brief History That Made a Huge Impact
More than six decades ago, the approval of the birth control pill marked one of the most impactful medical breakthroughs when it came to women’s health. In 1960, the FDA approved Enovid, the first oral contraceptive available in the U.S. Then, in 1972, the Supreme Court case Eisenstadt v. Baird made the pill accessible regardless of marital status. What followed wasn’t just a new way to prevent pregnancy, but a shift towards a new method of family planning that was more efficient and gave women the ability to fully control if, when, and under what circumstances they got pregnant. Prior to the pill, most birth control methods required partner involvement or were difficult to use consistently and efficiently, such as diaphragms and condoms. The pill offered something new.  For the first time, people could manage their birth control privately and on their own terms. This shift toward greater control and independence had ripple effects far beyond health care. As access to the pill expanded through the 1960s and 1970s, new and expansive opportunities opened up for women to plan their futures in new ways. For the first time, women were able to pursue higher education at higher rates, build careers, and time their pregnancies on their terms. 

Challenges and Changes to Early Access
Despite everything access has made possible, the invention of the birth control pill cannot be separated from its complex, and troubling history. Early clinical trials, including those conducted in Puerto Rico, raised serious ethical concerns around informed consent. The first versions of the pill also contained much higher hormone levels than those used today, leading to more side effects. Over time, research and medicine advancements significantly improved the safety of the pill, making it a widely used and reliable birth control method with 99% effectiveness rate.

The pill has also long been at the center of cultural, political, and religious debates. Questions about who should have access to contraception, and under what conditions, have shaped policies and court decisions for decades. Even after its FDA approval, access wasn’t guaranteed. It took landmark rulings like Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965, and later decisions, to expand the legal right to use birth control.

Now, thanks to decades of advocacy and medical advancement, birth control is more widely available than ever before, especially with the introduction of telehealth, birth control delivery services, and the first ever FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill. But despite the progress, gaps in access remain. More than 19 million women live in contraceptive deserts, meaning they do not have reasonable access to a health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. For many, getting birth control requires taking time off work, securing child care, and covering the cost of transportation and care, barriers that can make it out of reach.

Today, we’re seeing more cultural and political attacks on all aspects of reproductive and sexual health, especially contraception. Misinformation surrounding birth control is running rampant online affecting people’s attitudes and beliefs towards a safe, reliable method. Power to Decide’s 2025 YouR HeAlth Survey found that only one-quarter of young people know you don’t need to “take a break” from birth control pills, and nearly half worry that birth control has dangerous side effects. The spread of mis- and disinformation makes it harder for people to make informed decisions about what’s best for them.

Our Role in Advancing Access for All
Today, it’s critical to ensure everyone - no matter who they are or where they live - have access to medically accurate, judgment-free sexual and reproductive health information. Some of the ways that Power to Decide toward this goal include: 

• Celebrating everything birth control makes possible by showing up online for our annual #ThxBirthControl Day campaign across social media.
• Our policy and advocacy work focuses on expanding equitable access to birth control and removing systemic barriers that prevent people from getting the care they need. We advocate for policies that protect and strengthen access to the full range of contraceptive methods, including over-the-counter options, and work to ensure these methods are affordable.
• Our digital resource, Bedsider helps people explore their birth control options and make decisions that fit their lives. The birth control pill was a major step forward in access to contraception and the freedom and autonomy for women, but it is only one part of the story. 

Women’s History Month isn’t just about acknowledging the past, it’s also about recognizing how those events continue to shape the future. A small pill helped open the door to bigger opportunities: whether to finish school, start a career, grow a family, not have children, or wait. More than 60 years later, that core idea that everyone should have the power to decide their own future remains the cornerstone of our mission.