The Pill

            

            Nowadays the life of a lot of women could be completely different if it wasn’t for the discovery of the pill. With its discovery women obtained the power over their own fertility and happiness, this substance was the opening of doors for innumerous women that started to have choices and gathered the power to fight for their right, having strong social effects on the role of women in society. The pill was the first step to liberation of women and the rise of feminism.

            The pill is today a constant, a substance that we can easily find and use, however in the past things were completely different. Most people were against this new discovery and the use of contraceptive methods were even against the law, which didn’t have a lot of effect because a lot of women still searched for it desperate to end their misery of another unwanted pregnancy. This need of women to prevent conception did not start just recently, for centuries women have used innumerous different substances for this effect, and a lot of times this substances were aimed to make the women so sick and incapable of conceiving, but this hard effects didn’t decrease its use, and women continue the search and demand for contraceptive substances. After years of using dangerous contraceptive substances, during the twentieth century a safe and effective oral contraceptive was produced for the first time.

            The first oral contraceptive developed was norethindrone, a steroid, which is normally called ‘the pill’. Steroids are usually mentioned in illegal drugs for athletes, but steroids are more than that. Steroids are compound with a basic structure and a lot of other important molecules share similarities with this steroid structure and are then said to be part of the steroids family. Well known steroids are, for example, cholesterol, the sex hormones, and pregnancy hormones, which slight differences completely change their effect and abilities. Steroids have in its most basic form four rings connected in the same way and named as A, B, C and D rings, being the last one a five membered ring, while the other three are six membered. This structure is then found in every molecule mentioned previously and all other molecules that are referred as being steroids. The basis for the pill action resides on the characteristics of the steroid progesterone, the pregnancy hormone. This hormone is responsible for the preparation of the uterus for the implantation of the fertilized egg, and during this period the constant supply of progesterone inhibits further ovulation. This ability is what gives the substance contraceptive abilities, inhibiting the ovulation and decreasing the chances of pregnancy. However, the use of natural progesterone was not very effective since its production was not practical and it had to be injected since its abilities would be lost if digested after being taken orally. The potential was there, but natural progesterone was not very practical, which lead to the development of an artificial progesterone, which would mimic the hormone abilities. Russell Marker was the scientist which discovery led to the big production of synthetic progesterone, method vital for the production of the birth control pill in the following years. Marker, was not trying to produce a birth control, its main interest was in producing a method in which big amounts of steroids could be produced so that chemists could have material for various experiments. Marker observed that certain plants had high quantities of steroid containing compounds, and if these molecules could be manipulated they could become a major source of steroids, even more than animals. His theory was right, and the ‘Marker degradation’ method was invented, when using a saponin molecule from the sarsaparilla plant we was able to remove the undesired groups and isolate synthetic progesterone, which was chemically equal to the natural progesterone produced by the human body. With this method it was now possible to use plants like, the various species of Dioscorea which had high quantities of steroid-containing compounds that could now be used to produce synthetic steroids in big quantities. Thanks to Marker’s legacy progesterone was now being produced in bigger quantities and sold at a more reasonable price initially used to treat women with histories of miscarriage. This bigger supply of progesterone made it possible for Carl Djerassi to work on the production of an artificial progestin that would not lose its abilities when taken orally. Djerassi and his team were the minds behind the production of norethindrone, ‘the pill’, produced with the addition of a triple bond and removal of a CH3 group, changes that made this artificial progestin eight times stronger than normal progesterone and could now be swallowed.

Norethindrone was produced as substance that promoted pregnancy also relieving menstrual irregularities and never originated to be a contraceptive. However two women, named Margaret Sanger and Katherine McCormick become the mothers of the pill, being the pushing force behind the use of norethindrone as the birth control that is so commonly used and needed now. These two women had both the passion over women’s rights and the financial backing needed to push the discovery of a substance that could be simply swallowed and be the perfect contraceptive. They challenged Dr.Pincus to make this discovery and his experiments and theories were proven to be very successful. Together with John Rock, Pincus hypothesized that by inhibiting ovulation with a supply of progesterone, this would then produce a rebound effect when the supply of the molecule was stopped. They knew they were in the right track and that they simply needed and stronger form of progesterone which could be swallowed. After contacting various drug companies in search of a stronger substance, a Chicago based company gave an answer, and supplied their norethynodrel. This substance was very similar to norethindrone changing only in the position of a double bond, and becoming exactly equal to it when digested by the stomach acids. Pincus and Rock started to test norethynodrel, later named Enovid, as a contraceptive, and after trials with mice and later with women in Puerto Rico the substance had shown incredible results, being a complete success. Enovid was eventually given a limited approval by the Food and Drug administration since it was thought that people would not take a daily pill and that its high cost would decrease any intentions to do so. With time more developments were done on the pill decreasing the amount of synthetic progestin and adding some estrogen which would decrease the side effects, and eventually the pill became what it is today, a necessity in every woman’s life,

            The authors have done a great job showing all the social changes and power that this discovery has brought to women. The fact that such a small pill was the driven force behind the beginning of the fight for women’s rights and their power over their own body is something amazing. The pill has for sure changed the role in society, women started to have the control over their own lifes, and started to have an active role in society coming out from the man shadow and fighting for their own beliefs and taking charge over their own future. The pill is still very important today, and most woman use either as a contraceptive or as a menstrual regulator. Independently of the use it is given, this pill has changed lifes, and continues to do it still today, continuing to give power to women and giving them a sense of security. This molecule was for sure a very important discovery in our history.