What is the greatest invention in history? Some might say the wheel, others sliced bread. But there is a strong argument that no single item has revolutionised society more than the contraceptive pill. Developed in the United States in the 1950s, the pill became a symbol of sexual freedom, integral to the women’s liberation movements of the Sixties and Seventies. Over 60 years after it was first introduced on the NHS, the pill is the main form of contraception for nearly a third of women of reproductive age in the UK, and more than 150 million women use it worldwide. Yet, while both the combined pill and “mini pill” are often held up as emblems of modernity – and as feminist milestones – the advent of oral contraceptives also put the burden for avoiding pregnancy on women. On one hand, the pill granted sexual freedom. On the other, the perception of sexual responsibility. And so, for many years, one question has dogged the medical establishment: what about the boys?
The idea of a male pill has been a dream for many years, but it’s also at times felt like wishful thinking – mainly from women who find the pill gives them spots, or blood clots, or depression. Successive trials of male contraceptives have stalled, despite results showing they would be effective in preventing pregnancy. This is due to the drugs being judged to have too many “unacceptable” side effects – an undeniable kick in the teeth for everyone forced into accepting the physical and emotional toll of many current contraceptive methods. Yet this could all be about to change.
