Why might women need new methods of contraception? A few statistics from 1990 confirm the inadequacy of available methods.
In the world of contraception, scientific and technological innovation has been moribund for decades. 2 Even the technologies behind these delivery systems (e.g., silastic capsules for the implant, transdermal materials for the patch) were developed in the 1960s and 1970s. The newer methods that have come onto the market since 1990-the implant, the shot, the skin patch, and the vaginal ring-simply provide different delivery systems for the hormones to enter the bloodstream. Hormonal contraception-in which synthetic hormones, either progesterone alone or in combination with estrogen, prevent ovulation-was the truly innovative contribution made by the Pill. The modern intrauterine devices (IUDs) became available in the early 1960s, but they merely improved on a method first introduced in the 1920s. The barrier methods-condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and chemical spermicides-have existed for the better part of a century (and in the case of condoms, for centuries). Since the Pill was first approved in 1960, birth control continues to work in only one of two ways: by preventing fertilization or by preventing ovulation.
It began, “These days, choosing a form of birth control can seem as daunting as shopping for a new laptop computer – the technology is constantly changing and there are just so many options.” 1 Even though scores of different brand-name and generic products are available on the American market, a closer inspection of the contraceptive landscape reveals a menu of birth control options that relies on science that is more than 50 years old. IN MARCH 2011, THE SAN Francisco Chronicle ran a front-page story on contraceptives.
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