28/06/13
Below are my hand-written notes on Dr Mark's book on the history of the Pill:
After taking notes from the acknowledgements and introduction I tried to analyse the contents of the book into individual effects the Pill had on the freedom of women. See below the spider diagram I created:
- Freedom from the 'continual burden of reproduction'- as through the invention of the pill there was no longer a risk of pregnancy couples became able to plan when to have children and therefore were able to devote themselves to other priorities, i.e education or the pursuit of the women's career.
- Growth of female contraceptives and a decline in male contraceptives (e.g. condoms or the withdrawal method) lead to women taking control of their own fertility. To some this a psychological freedom as women no longer had to rely on the cooperation of men.
- Health hazards. In some cases the pill lead to side-effects that were debilitating, including death and cardiovascular disease, restricting the choices of women.
- The importance of the NHS and governmental policies. In counties where contraceptives were provided free-of-charge the uptake has been larger than those where the patient has to pay.
After reading the book I realised there were some key areas that I wanted to research further, including the effect of the NHS, the literature and magazines, e.g. Helen Gurley Brown- 'Sex and the single girl,' associated with the 'Single-woman' Image and the effects of the widespread distribution of the pill among middle-class and working-class women.
I really enjoyed Dr Mark's book and her specific focus on the sexual freedom women experienced after the invention of the pill, in particular the switch from male to female contraceptives and the restrictive side-effects felt by many women as well as the changing relationships between the medical profession and patients.
