The invention of modern birth control, particularly the oral contraceptive pill, is credited mainly to Gregory Pincus and John Rock in the 1950s. Pincus, a biologist, and Rock, a gynecologist, developed and tested the first oral contraceptive pill, which was approved by the FDA in 1960. Their work was supported and funded by activists like Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, and philanthropist Katharine McCormick. Before them, many methods of birth control had been used historically, but this pill marked a significant scientific breakthrough in female-controlled contraception.
Margaret Sanger played a crucial role in promoting the idea and pushing for the development of the contraceptive pill. Meanwhile, researchers like Carl Djerassi contributed chemically by creating the synthetic progesterone used in the pill, though the main credit goes to Pincus and Rock for development and clinical testing.
In summary, while birth control has a long history, the invention of the modern birth control pill is attributed to Gregory Pincus and John Rock with significant support from Margaret Sanger and Katharine McCormick in the mid-20th century.
