| B.C. |
1850 B.C.: Egyptian writings describe contraceptive techniques, which include vaginal suppositories of organic products like honey and crocodile dung. |
| 100s |
100s: Soranus, of ancient Rome, known as the greatest gynecologist of his time, provides directions to create combination contraceptives such as spermicide-a concoction of acidic fruit and nut pulp, along with a barrier of soft wool placed at the cervix to block sperm. |
| 1500s |
1564: Gabriel Fallopius, an early authority on syphilis, develops the concept for a linen condom to protect the penis against infections. |
| 1600s |
1600s: Dr. Condom, an English physician, to whom the contraceptive of the same name is attributed, is said to have invented the sheath after Charles II displayed annoyance with the number of illegitimate children he had. |
| 1700s |
1700s: Condoms become well known as not only a means of protection from sexually transmitted diseases, but from unwanted pregnancy, as well. |
| 1800s |
1800s: Experimentation on inhibiting sperm with the use of chemicals for contraceptive purposes begins. |
| 1850: By now, rubber condoms are mass produced, and they become available in the United States for the first time. |
| 1870s: U.S. Congress passes an act that suppresses the trade and circulation of obscene literature and articles for immoral use, which includes all contraceptives, and later becomes part of what is known as the Comstock Laws. |
| 1880s: German gynecologist C. Haase, under the pseudonym Wilhelm P.J. Mensinga, writes about the first modern diaphragm, which retained most of its original design into modern times. |
| 1900s |
1902: Though similar devices had been used long before, the first confirmed use of an intrauterine device for contraception was developed in 1902 by a doctor in Germany. The device was actually self-inserted. |
| 1920s |
1923: Margaret Sanger founds a new organization called the American Birth Control League and opens the first birth control clinic in the United States a year later, in 1923. |
| 1923: Paving the way for the invention of oral contraception, American physiologists Allen and Doisy obtain a pure isolate (sample) of estrogen. |
| 1925: Holland-Rantos manufactures the first diaphragm in the United States. Unlike the male use of a condom, a woman can use a vaginal barriers without the cooperation of her partner; therefore, she has more control over her own contraceptive protection. |
| 1930s |
1930s: Sterilization is first suggested as a contraceptive option for families. Women were required to be older than 40 and have had 8 or more children. |
| 1937: The case of United States v. One Package stops contraceptives from being confiscated by the U.S. Postal Service under the Comstock Laws, which restricted the trade and circulation of obscene literature and articles for immoral use, including those regarding contraception. |
| 1940s |
1940s: Russell Marker, a chemist, devises a method to produce progesterone from a plant steroid. Several years later, Marker was able to mass produce progesterone from the root of a yam found only in Mexico. |
| 1940: One third of American couples using contraception use the diaphragm. |
| 1942: Planned Parenthood® Federation of America, Inc. is established when the Birth Control Federation of America votes to change its name. |
| 1950s |
1950s: Research for spermicides began in the 1800s, and by 1950 more than 90 products are on the market. |
| 1952: After biologists Gregory Pincus and Min-Cheuh Chang find that oral administration of certain progestins can be virtually 100% effective in preventing ovulation in rabbits, Pincus envisions an oral contraceptive for humans. |
| 1954: Oral synthetic progestins are found to inhibit ovulation in women. Dr. Pincus begins to refer to the medication as “the pill,” and he and Chang announce their findings at an International Planned Parenthood meeting a year later, in 1955. |
| 1960s |
1960: Enovid, initially used for the treatment of miscarriage and menstrual disorders, is the first oral contraceptive approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). |
| 1965: In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court upholds an individual's right to privacy and removes all legal constraints on contraceptive use. |
| 1970s |
1970: A course booklet, Women and Their Bodies, is published, which radically changes the political and social context of women's health. The booklet becomes an underground sensation. |
| 1973: The expanded edition of the women's health handbook, Our Bodies, Ourselves, is released. The book _ which contains information about sexuality and reproductive choices_ becomes a bestseller, eventually selling over 4 million copies. |
| 1980s |
1983: The contraceptive sponge is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States. |
| 1990s |
1990s: The pill becomes a feature of everyday life, with over 70 million women reaching for their pill packet on a daily basis around the globe. |
| 1992: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a contraceptive injection that contains progestin. It is administered every 3 months and contains no estrogen. |
| 1993: The female condom becomes available in the United States. The polyurethane pouch that lines the vagina is less popular than male condoms because it is more expensive and cumbersome to use. |
| 1995: Oral contraceptives are the most used method of contraception among young couples, according to a U.S. national fertility survey. |
| 2000s |
2001: The contraceptive patch becomes available to the public. One patch is applied to the buttock, abdomen, upper outer arm, or upper torso (but not on the breasts) every 7 days for 3 consecutive weeks. |
| 2001: The vaginal ring becomes available. The ring is inserted into the vagina within the first 5 days of a menstrual period and left in place for 3 weeks. |
| 2003: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves an extended-cycle combination birth control pill, designed to reduce the number of menstrual periods to 4 per year by increasing the number of weeks active hormones are taken. |
