The past, present and future of birth control
Posted December 7, 2023 8:14 am.
Last Updated December 7, 2023 8:26 am.
In today’s Big Story Podcast, “the pill” has been around for more than 60 years now. And while it changed society, sparked a sexual revolution and helped reshape the workforce, the side effects can be challenging for those who take them. The past six decades have seen incredible medical advancements, but somehow hormonal birth control remains the go-to for a lot of people who menstruate — even though we keep discovering new side effects even today.
Nicole Schmidt wrote about the birth control pill for The Walrus. “We’re kind of just starting to understand how vast the side effects really are,” said Schmidt.
Why hasn’t the pill gotten much better over six decades? Why haven’t better alternatives come to market? What is possible in the world of birth control and science pushes further? And why, despite promising research, is there still no proper birth control for men?
You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify. You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.
