The oral contraceptive pill, introduced to married women in 1961, when was it made available to other women ?

Question

In the UK (sorry forgot to add that)

Answer 1

Contraceptive pills (cp) were made generally available in 1972 (see (1) for details) for unmarried women in the US, and - if I understand (2) correctly - in 1965 for all married women.

Regarding the UK the c. pills were introduced in 1957 (3, p128) as a cure for menstrual disorders. When clearance for contraceptive usage was given in 1961, the pills as I understand it were not unavailable for unmarried women, but were not provided for free (cmp. the National Health Service (Family Planning) Act of 1967, e.g. as cited in (4) ) and some or many doctors might have been reluctant to prescribe it for umarried women (see (3), p133, footnote 43).

Answer 2

once you're on antibiotics then it could counteract the pill & you may result pregnant. additionally, some "forget approximately" to take the pill & finally end up pregnant. Thirdly, that's available that the flexibility of the pill replaced into no longer sufficient to maintain the female from ovulating. It takes somewhat for the pill to construct up. the reason the pill works is that it keeps horomones intense sufficient so as that the physique thinks that's pregnant. once you're pregnant, the physique would not ovulate & you hence, do no longer finally end up pregnant.

Answer 3

Shortly thereafter. It was impossible for the industry and politicians to keep it out of the hands of single women.

Answer 4

I think it was before 1970.