what year did physicians start legally prescribe birth control?

Answer 1

That all depends on what kind of birth control you're talking about. There are various methods that have been in use for as far back as we care to go in recorded history.

Even oral contraceptives aren't new. Ancient pharmacists had a variety of herbs and mixtures which could and did reduce pregnancy and birth rates. A good example of this is the plant 'silphium', which was harvested to extinction because of its capability to prevent pregnancy.

As far as the modern 'pill' is concerned, much of the research connecting hormones with pregnancy was done in the 1950's. Some of the first trials were conducted in 1952. In 1957 a medicine was approved by the FDA for menstrual disorders, and contraception was later added to its approved uses in 1960. I'm sure some doctors knew of these effects and occasionally prescribed them for that purpose even before FDA approval (this kind of thing happens all the time, actually).

Of course, the law had a little catching up to do. Though these pills were available nationally, they were illegal to use for contraception in some places. Griswold v Connecticut in 1965 was the landmark federal privacy rights case which denied government control over what consenting married adults did in their bedrooms. Unmarried women would have to wait until 1972 (though again, it was already legal for some of them, depending on their locale).

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Depends on what kind of birth control you mean.

The pill was first introduced in 1960. Diaphragms were used much earlier.

Answer 3

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