Changes and Impacts of the Birth Control Industry in the 1930s
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries women had a hard time getting their hands on effective birth control. The Comstock Act in the United States restricted anyone from using contraceptives or spreading information about it, but those laws did not stop women from trying to prevent pregnancy. Women’s lack of education and effective advertising played an important role in birth control’s highly successful market. This essay will reveal the changes that occurred to the birth control market of the 1930s and how it impacted female consumers of birth control products.
The Comstock Act of 1873 criminalized the use of any pornography, contraceptives, abortifacients, sex toys, and
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any information regarding the items mentioned. However, companies found ways around these laws. The Comstock ruling did note that birth control devices could be used for “lawful purposes” other than contraception, so the products could be advertised as remedies or non-contraceptive devices. Companies could sell and advertise their products as long as they did not reference their contraceptive uses. (489) In order to avoid criminal prosecution they advertised their birth control products behind widely understood euphemisms such as “feminine hygiene.” Included in ads and product descriptions were words like “security,” “protection,” and “dependability” which hinted at the products actual purpose. Many women used products such as douches, powders, liquids, and suppositories, which they believed would kill sperm. Many of these products were ineffective but companies could not be blamed because they claimed their products were sold for cleanliness not for contraceptive use. By the early 1930s birth control had become a very profitable industry and grew quite rapidly.
By 1938 the industries annual sales exceeded $250 million and was one of the most prosperous new businesses of the decade. Four hundred companies competed in the market. (485) Aggressive advertising for contraceptives appeared in many women’s magazines and catalogues. Contraceptive products were easily purchased at department stores, through catalogues and even from door to door saleswomen. Ads falsely claimed that their products were “scientifically proven” and recommended by women physicians who “knew” about women’s fears of pregnancy. In an article by Andrea Tone titled Contraceptive Consumers: Gender and the Political Economy of Birth Control in the 1930s, Tone states, “ Many women, spurred on by public attention to birth control but unable to secure the assistance needed to make informed contraception choices, took contraception- and their lives- into their own hands.” (491) The mass marketing of contraceptive devices turned many women on to the idea of being able to decide how often and how many children they …show more content…
had. The most popular, least reliable, and the most risky contraceptive product was Lysol’s disinfectant douche. Lysol’s product was supposed to kill “germs” or as women were led to believe, kill sperm. It contained cresol and mercury chloride, that when used in too high of a concentration, caused severe inflammation, burning and even death. Lysol’s ads often referred to the products gentleness, saying the product was safe on “delicate female tissues.” (493) It seems that a product intended for use in delicate areas shouldn't have a multi-purpose as a household cleaner, nasal spray, or gargle but it did; and that's how ads depicted the product. Advertisers even pulled on the heartstrings of married women. They blamed women for unhappy marriages and divorce if they did not practice proper “feminine” or “marital hygiene.” Other ads often linked happy and successful marriages to a woman’s cleanliness that could only be obtained by using their products. Ads claimed women’s anxieties and fears of pregnancies would ruin not only her marriage but also her appearance, “fear greys the hair and etches lines on the face” (495) In 1936 the courts ruled that physicians in every state could now send and receive contraceptive devices and information.
The following year the ban on contraceptives was called off and doctors could now legally prescribe birth control. (499) But this didn't mean that women were now running to get a prescription form of birth control, they still preferred other methods. Many women could not afford prescriptions or did not live close enough to a clinic. Convenience, affordability, and discreetness was still what women looked for when choosing a form of birth control. New laws in 1938 that governed medical devices had little impact on commercially sold birth control products because they were still being sold as vaginal cleansers. Women came to depend on “feminine hygiene” products more than any other method of birth control even well after the pill was developed in
1960. It is clear to see the changes and impact that happened to the birth control industry in the 1930s. The birth control industry’s profits skyrocketed in a matter of just a few years. Contraceptive devices became easily obtaied from department stores, catalogues and the privacy of women’s homes. Companies falsely advertised their products and made exaggerated claims about them. Manufacturers capitalized on women’s lack of education about contraception and the products they were using. Aggressive advertising influenced women to buy products that were useless and often harmful. Because of feminine hygiene products women suffered adverse effects and put their health and even their life at risk. Companies made women believe they had to practice some type of birth control in order to be healthy, live a happy life, and have a happy marriage. Luckily we have come a long way from those days and women can now make informed decisions when it comes to their reproductive health.
They thought that rich women kept contraception a secret. Wardell included that women in poverty had to work longer hours to support their numerous children. Wardell’s article involved a survey that stated that the number of the child deaths grew exponentially in those times, because there was little to no contraception available for women living in poverty. Therefore, less fortunate women were more vocal about their need for birth control, when Sanger went to trail, ninety-seven per cent of the public favored Sanger’s views – a great support for Wardell’s article’s argument
McLaren, Angus. Birth control and abortion in canada, 1870–1920. Canadian Historical Review Volume 59 (3): 319-40.
Although birth control and other forms of contraceptives did not fully become legal until the 1960’s they had been developed nearly seventy years earlier in the forms the are still prevalent today (Birth Control in America). The modern condom, or “...rubber was invented in 1870, but [it] was not the thin latex type…” that is currently prevalent in our society (Hoag Levins 2). An early form of the birth control pill, which Margaret Sanger advocated, was also in existence in the very late 1800’s (Birth Control in America). Contraception was considered an ethical issue, in that the majority of Americans believed it was a form of abortion and therefor it was considered amoral (Birth Control in America). The laws of Sanger's day “...forced women into celibacy on one hand, or abortion on the other" (Sanger B 3). Why did it take so long to spread and legalize something with the potential to better the lives and life styles of women and families in the early 1900’s? It could be partially attributed to the attitude of politicians of the time. President Theodore Roosevelt said "...that the American people would be committing racial suicide"(Birth Control in America). Roosevelt shared a belief, held by the majority of politicians at the time, that families of America should act, as Roosevelt put it "servants of the state; and should provide Children to build national st...
Since 1912 Sanger had dreamed of a pill that would provide cheap, safe, and effective contraception. In 1951 Margaret Sanger met Dr. Gregory Pincus, a biologist whose expertise was in the field of fertility. Planned Parenthood Federation of America provided a grant to research the effect of progesterone on ovulation. Dr. Pincus’ research supported earlier findings that progesterone acts as an inhibitor to ovulation. With these findings, Margaret Sanger was able to convince Katherine McCormick, a wealthy heiress, to provide the funding for Dr. Gregory Pincus to develop the first birth control
The Roaring Twenties were known as a time of economic boom, pop culture and social developments. This was a time when women began to break norms, they acted rebelliously such as wearing releveling clothing, smoking, and drinking. These women were known as “flappers” who wanted to change their roles in the 1920’s. Birth control activist, Margaret Sanger sought to change the world where women had access to a low cost, effective contraception pill. In “The Morality of Birth Control” Sanger battled opponents who claimed that contraception would cause women to become immoral. The author uses rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and fallacies to back up her claim while touching on issues in the church, advancements of women, and the source of disease in the world.
Subsequently, the provided documents on the birth control movement did show the push and pull factors of the complicated and multifaceted debate. Americas push towards industrial growth, and technology demanded that the subsequent progressive reforms were needed for a society ushering in a new era. At the same time, fear and reluctance to abandon tradition and religious custom acted as the pulling factor. The birth control debate was a complicated and heavily charged debate teemed in religious, social, political, and racial rhetoric. Historical documents help shed new light on the things taken for granted today, even the most seemingly innocuous things like birth control were fought for, so that men and women today could be in charge of their own destinies.
This lecture on the Pill will focus on the introduction, controversies, and outcome of women’s control of contraception during the mid 20th century. It will also discuss how the Pill became an influential stepping-stone for women activists. I chose to focus this discussion on three questions. First, what did the Pill teach us about the role of women in the middle 20th century? Second, what were the arguments for and against the Pill? Lastly, how safe was the Pill and what effects did women experience from taking it? By centering in on these questions, I hope to provide insight on the struggles women faced before and after this birth control technology became readily available to women in the United States.
Watkins, E. (2012). How the pill became a lifestyle drug: the pharmaceutical industry and birth
Watkins, Elizabeth Siegel. Genesis Of The Pill. On the Pill: A Social History of Oral
In the early Middle Ages and long before this time, contraception and birth control were easily discussable and were common conversations among people until the mid-fourteenth century (McFarlane & Meier). So why did this information disappear and why is it so difficult to talk about this today? Right about the time that the witch trials began, many birth control methods were lost. It is said to be that most midwives (a person who delivers babies), were killed as witches in the trials, therefore losing information about old contraception methods (McFarlane & Meier). It is then easy to see why birth control and contraception methods were no longer talked about, as they were associated with witches. But in today’s world, about 99% of women
Birth Control has always been a topic of controversy in America, generating large opposition and actions to regulate it. The regulation of any form of birth control was made final with the Comstock Act being passed in 1873 that was a, “federal law that made it a crime to sell or distribute materials that could be used for contraception or abortion”. This act created by and enacted by Anthony Comstock, caused a long and troubling path for feminists attempting to break the patriarchal society and gain the freedom to control their own bodies and choices. The virdict was supported throughout the years and by the 1950s many opinions of religious people, political persons, and most men who accepted traditional gender roles continued on the path of
The first form of birth control came in the form a pill and was approved by the FDA in 1960(qtd in Gladwell ) The pill was said to be the safest form of birth control because it was safe and said to be a natural form of birth control. John Rock was a well know man around the community. Loretta McLaughlin writes, "It was his name and his reputation that gave ultimate validity to the claims that the pill would protect women against unwanted pregnancy.”(qdt in Gladwell) Even back then, with all the research that they set out to do the pill was still know to cause cancer in young women, not only cancer but the miscarrying of children shortly after taking the pill.
Although birth control has been practiced since ancient times, the first organized efforts developed during the 19th century as population increased dramatically because of improved medical care, nutrition, and sanitation. However, birth control met with resistance. In 1873 the United States Congress enacted the Comstock Law, which prohibited the distribution of birth-control devices and information.
The female birth control pill became available to the public in 1961. During that time period the acceptance of women sexuality was becoming more common; however, critics felt that the pill promoted unnecessary female sexual behavior. The fact that a woman could partake in casual sex without worrying about becoming pregnant was an issue amongst many people in society. Although premarital sex was not completely shunned as it was a couple decades previous to that time, many still felt as if a woman should not enjoy multiple sexual relationships. Women were expected to only act or feel sexually toward one man who she was in a serious relationship with. With that being said, the grounds for accepting the use of female contraceptive...
"People and Events: The Pill and the Sexual Revolution." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014.