The Pill Turns 50!

While all of our eyes and ears were turned toward Afghanistan and Anthrax, a major milestone quietly passed last week -- oral contraceptives (a.k.a. "The Pill") turned 50 years old on October 15, 2001. Of course, such news might've made a bigger splash if it had occurred in the world we once lived in…those tabloid-happy days when sex-scandals reigned on the front page.

Even so, we haven't stopped thinking and talking about what goes on under the sheets here in America. For instance, in Utah, "Porn Czar" Paula Houston has declared that indecent pictures (with her definition including Abercrombie and Fitch catalog photos) are as bad as terrorism. Meanwhile, others have been hailing pornography as the shining beacon of our free society, circulating joke emails that call for the U.S. to drop "porn bombs" on the Taliban, in hopes the group might rethink its Anti-Americanism.

Such stories are proof positive that another war, The Sex War, is still being fought these days, and the birth of The Pill in 1951 certainly has a hand in spurring it on. Also, "porn bombs" aside, while it's up for debate whether the events of September 11 were an "attack on our freedom" (as our President has stated), it is certainly clear that Islamic fundamentalists disagree with America's sexual freedom. If any symbol could reflect that sexual freedom, it might very well be The Pill, which 80 million women use worldwide.

Now, scientists are hard at work creating a version of The Pill for that would be more economically accessible to the developing world, and there's even talk of producing a male version of the pill. The future of The Sex War is still uncertain, but the discussion is sure to be interesting.

The books below can surely educate us about The Pill and the strange relationship between science and sex:

This Man's Pill: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Pill
by Carl Djerassi
This memoir, from the man who's credited with inventing the oral contraceptive, is surprisingly funny and warm for a scientific autobiography. Of course, it's not surprising if you consider the source: Carl Djerassi, a man with several acclaimed novels and plays under his belt, and a reputation for being quite the iconoclast. Here, he illustrates how The Pill has changed his own life, leading him both to question science's role in society and explore the arts. His thoughts on The Pill's impact are insightful, and his examinations of tough questions like "Would The Pill be developed today in our current political climate?" (no, he says!) and "Why isn't there a pill for Men?" are entertaining and insightful.

Sexual Chemistry: A History of the Contraceptive Pill
by Lara Marks
More formal than Djerrasi's book, Sexual Chemistry explains the scientific process behind The Pill, and the contraceptive's complex history and cultural impact. From its origins in a Mexican yam plant to the controversial early clinical trials of the drug in the 1950s to the present-day controversies surrounding it, Sexual Chemistry is a comprehensive overview and provides a thorough examination of key issues. Through the years, oral contraceptives have faced serious criticism, and the drug has been viewed as racist, sexist, unethical, and prohibitively expensive. Marks level-headedly deals with the disapproval, and weighs both pros and cons, in this fascinating look at a modern-day institution.

Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America
by Andrea Tone
Ever heard of The Comstock Act of 1873? It was a law that outlawed contraceptives and pornography, and forced the industries underground. Here, Tone takes us to the back rooms of the birth-control bootleggers, and then beyond as she documents the secret history of the American boudoir. Supported by meticulous research and full of surprising anecdotes, Devices and Desires is a dynamic account that's sure to shock, entertain, and inform.

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The Prehistory of Sex: Four Million Years of Human Sexual Culture
by Timothy Taylor
An encyclopedia of the lovemaking ways of our ancestors, The Prehistory of Sex occasionally appears vulgar by our current standards, yet Taylor never revels in the ribaldry -- instead, he honorably approaches his subject with reverence and curiosity. According to Taylor, sex and reproduction have been separate activities since ancient times, and humans have long used contraception techniques to distinguish the two. He examines taboo and accepted sexual practices of the ancient world, and muses on how sexuality has changed throughout history. As you might expect, there are plenty of surprises along the way (Pornographic cave art? Who knew?) -- it's interesting to learn that life thousands of years before The Pill was not totally dissimilar from our sexual climate today.

Designing Babies: The Brave New World of Reproductive Technology
by Roger Gosden
Whether we like it or not, the new frontier of sex and reproduction science is cloning and genetic engineering. Here, Gosden sets us straight on what these new developments mean at the moment, and what they may continue to mean in the future. All the while, Gosden elucidates the technical elements in clear prose sprinkled with philosophical and literary allusions, and he doesn't shy away from the big moral questions involved. If you're curious about post-pill sex science, and want to know about things like gene screening and prenatal sex selection, then Designing Babies will be a fine addition to your bookshelf.