Sexual Chemistry: A History of the Contraceptive Pill

by Lara V. Marks

Heralded as the catalyst of the sexual revolution and the solution to global overpopulation, the contraceptive pill was one of the twentieth century’s most important inventions. It has not only transformed the lives of millions of women but has also pushed the limits of drug monitoring and regulation across the world. This deeply-researched new history of the oral contraceptive shows how its development and use have raised crucial questions about the relationship between science, medicine, technology, and society. Lara Marks traces the scientific origins of the pill to Europe and Mexico in the early years of the twentieth century, challenging previous accounts that championed it as a North American product. She explores the reasons why the pill took so long to be developed and explains why it did not prove to be the social panacea envisioned by its inventors. Unacceptable to the Catholic Church, rejected by countries such as India and Japan, too expensive for women in poor countries, it has, more recently, been linked to cardiovascular problems. Reviewing the positive effects of the pill, Marks shows how it has been transformed from a tool for the prevention of conception to a major weapon in the fight against cancer.

Genres: Science, History, Nonfiction, Health

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2001

Reviews

[dejah_thoris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised that I was able to power through this in a weekend because it is dense with detail featuring tables, charts, and graphs galore. Marks also does a wonderful job of situating the pill's technology within its historical context. We did not have the tests then that we do now, so it was thoroughly tested for its time. Plus, women were willing to take slight risks to their future health to prevent the larger present risk of pregnancy, which should not be surprising.

Although dense, the majority of the text was layperson-friendly. (Maybe minus the first chapter on chemistry and the chemical development of synthetic hormones.) Flipping back and forth to the copious endnotes though was a bit annoying. Overall, I learned a great deal about mexican yams, hormone development, and how hard it is to study people taking medication outside of a hospital environment. (Fingers crossed I'm not one of the unlucky long-term pill takers who dies from being "permanently pregnant" because I'd rather not be sterilized.)

[Alexandra]

Read for my dissertation. Marks writes in such a compelling, yet analytical manner on a topic which she is the leading scholar in, yet never condescends to her reader. A shining example on how to write history.