Charles Knowlton portrait

Charles Knowlton, the Father of American Birth Control


A Short History of the Condom

Dating back to at least medieval times, the condom has taken a winding path to social acceptance.
October 15, 2009: Viagra and Norlevo tablets in window display of a a pharmacy in Kas, Turkey. Viagra is made by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and the trade name for the drug sildenafil citrate. It is the prime treatment for erectile dysfunction. It was developed 1998 by british scientists for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension. Norlevo is a hormonal contraceptive.

Covering Viagra, But Not Birth Control?

The different ways insurance companies treat Viagra for men and birth control for women show the inherent sexism and legal biases involved. 
Margaret Sanger

Margaret Sanger’s Eugenics Defense

Margaret Sanger's belief in eugenics stemmed from her interest in individual choice--an idea that brought birth control into the mainstream of American life.

Birth Control’s Slow Path to the Mainstream

A look at changing public opinion of birth control.

Debating Birth Control In Pre-Revolutionary France

Attitudes toward birth control in 18th century France.