Sara Harris
- Mar 10, 2022
- 2 min read

Episode 7 - In the Name of The Pill, with Mike Gaskins

Show Notes

Episode number 7 has just been released and is available for you to listen.

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It has been 60 years since the inception of The Pill and the beginning of hormonal birth control. In Australia, the oral contraceptive pill is the most commonly used method of contraception. According to data from the UN, 922 million women of reproductive age are contraceptive users. And of these, it is estimated that 151 million women are using the pill worldwide (1). When looking in to the history of this drug and other hormonal contraceptives, it is very interesting to discover the original motives and intentions for the drug...and how it was passed for approval by the FDA. It certainly leaves you with a lot more questions!

Mike Gaskins has done a lot of research on this very topic and has written a booked titled 'In the Name of The Pill'. It's a fantastic book that outlines the history, the research and everything we need to know when making a choice to use this drug along with its many other counterparts. Being fully informed is an important step in being empowered with it comes to your health and wellbeing and being in control of your reproductive health.

Topics that Mike & I discuss in this episode:

Introducing Mike Gaskins, author of 'In the Name of the Pill'
How Mike became a women's health advocate - very interesting story!
Is contraception just a women's issue?
Men need to be having conversations about hormonal birth control too
Women need to demand more from their health-care & be informed
We have normalised The Pill so much that it is not even perceived as a medication by many women
The Nelson Pill Hearings - a landmark event in the history of The Pill - 1970
Has The Pill ever been proven safe?
Benefit to Risk paradigm - how this changed in relation to The Pill
Population growth and the link with The Pill
Original Puerto Rico Trials that were submitted to the FDA - what were the results and what were the inadequacies?
How did The Pill get approved?
Bayer settlements as a result of The Pill
Are Doctor's being educated on the full impact of the pill and other hormonal contraceptives?
Is a woman's health even a concern when it comes to the pill?
What are the health risks of taking the pill?
Further impacts of the pill including environmentally

Enjoy this epic episode with Mike...and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and any episode suggestions you have, simply send me an email and let me know.

References:

(1) United Nations (2019) Contraceptive Use by Method. Department of Economic & Social Affairs