The Doctors' Case Against the Pill
In 1969 Barbara Seaman published “The Doctors’ Case Against the Pill.” Seaman discovered the lack of regulation and quality of trials pharmaceutical companies and the FDA provided to ensure the safety of the birth control pill. During the 1950-60s birth control was a highly controversial topic, so when the pill started to be used as a form of contraceptive, the U.S. government left it up to the FDA to ensure the safety of the drug. During this time the FDA was swamped with a vast amount of new drugs on the market, so they compiled a committee of scientists to investigate the safety of oral contraceptives.[8] The committee however, was unable to make a judgement on whether or not the pill was safe do to the lack of ample evidence and information. Although a decision was not made, the birth control pill was still put on the market, allowing women to take the drug without knowing the risks and repercussions that it could cause. [9]
The significance of “The Doctors' Case,” was that it exposed the lack of transparency in doctor-patient relationships. In her book, Seaman shows how informed consent was absent in women’s health care, especially within reproductive health. Seaman explains that many doctors did not tell their patients of symptoms to look out for because it could either terrify them or symptoms would ‘magically’ appear the next day.[10] However, these symptoms could mean life or death. Symptoms such as a simple headache or aches and pains in the legs could be a sign of stroke, blood clot, or heart attack.[11] Without knowing what to look for, women taking birth control pills were unknowingly risking their lives.
Seaman also acknowledged that doctors were starting to lose faith in the pill as warnings and pill-caused cases rose, causing many physicians to re-think about prescribing the pill. In fact, many doctors took their own wives and daughters off the pill. [12] Another issue Seaman brought to the surface was the amount of confusion surrounding the pill. Some doctors believed in it while others did not. Seaman uses the case of Mrs. J as an example. Mrs. J was told by one doctor that the pill was safe for her to take while another said that he would never prescribe the drug to a women her age. Mrs. J stated that “if they cant make up their minds, I’m going to play it safe. It’s my body.” [13]
However, the most concerning fact Seaman brought attention to was that many adverse effects went unreported. In June 1968, the Commissioner of the FDA sent a letter to every physician in America. The envelope was marked in bright red letters “Important Drug Warning.” The letter pleaded “for your assistance in monitoring adverse reactions by reporting all such reactions to the Food and Drug Administration.” [14] Although there was a call for information by the FDA, it was not mandatory for doctors to report their findings. As a result, nothing really changed in respect to the way birth control was prescribed, consumed and regulated.
Consequently, “The Doctors’ Case Against the Pill” was a reproductive health awakening in the late sixties to early seventies. Women started to argue for transparency in health care in addition to informed consent in male dominated fields, such as the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Women also demanded that they had a right to know what was happening to their bodies and to have the right to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health. As a result, Seaman was seen as a prominent figure in the second wave of feminism, leading the way for female autonomy in society.