Over forty years ago, life dramatically improved for women with the introduction of prescription birth control. Women no longer had to depend upon their sexual partners to supply condoms, or upon the vagaries of such inconvenient methods of birth control as diaphragms, the Rhythm Method, or continuous breast-feeding.

Convenient, Effective, and Satisfying

Not only is prescription birth control nearly one hundred percent effective, its convenience suddenly allowed women and their sexual partners to enjoy a level of spontaneity in their sex lives that had never before been experienced. No longer did either partner have to stop in the midst of the moment for an awkward and time-consuming birth control management. Instead of fearing unwanted pregnancy, uncomfortable and inconvenient methods, and unintended side effects, women and men could focus on the sexual experience. These improvements in the mechanics of sex caused a tremendous increase in satisfaction for both women and men.

Improved Health for Women

One of the unintended consequences of prescription birth control was the improvement of the overall health of women. One of the major health risks for a woman is pregnancy. The effectiveness of the pill and its relatives dramatically reduced the number of unwanted pregnancies, as well as abortions and the health risks associated with them. In addition, women became more and more open about their reproductive health issues because they were coming to see their doctors more often in order to get their prescriptions.

Becoming an Educated Consumer

When there was only one form of prescription birth control -- the pill -- and only one dosage, women had no other choices. However, now there are literally dozens of possible prescriptions of birth control pills, in addition to new and advanced methods of distributing birth control medicines into a woman’s system. Drug manufacturers continue to respond to the needs of their birth control consumers by developing better delivery systems with lower dosages that are tailored to special needs. Some methods are more convenient than others, or more expensive, or safer, or have fewer side effects, or are designed to adapt to specific health issues. For that reason, women need to become educated consumers who know what is available to them and what fits their unique needs and priorities.