Ep 45: The History of the Pill

I explore the history of the birth control pill through the lens of the exploitation that underlined its development. By focusing on the pill’s so-called pioneers, I trace the experiments that were conducted on the mentally disabled, as well as Puerto Ricans, Haitians, and Mexicans which paved way for FDA approval. I also speak about the Nelson Pill Hearings and how ideas around population control underlined the risk/benefit ratio around widespread use of the pill more than any other themes such as women’s liberation or feminism.

Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Iw582zVjQQ0OXgzf5qL4rVBKykB8rwJF/view?usp=sharing