The pill changed the way we all made love. For the first time, sexually active women could control when and whether to have children. Many American women, finally able to rely on safe and effective contraception, seized the opportunity to enjoy (almost) the same sexual freedom as men.

The 'birth' of control

Birth control has been around, with varying degrees of effectiveness, for centuries. In ancient Greece and Rome, women used pomegranate seeds -- taken orally or inserted vaginally -- as a contraceptive and abortifacient. Other early methods included condoms made from animal skin, sea sponges soaked in herbs and placed near the cervix, and the ever-popular (but ineffective) onanism. (For more about the history of contraception, read this interesting PDF.)

In 1916 radical feminist Margaret Sanger coined the term "birth control" and began a decades-long quest to empower women with what she felt was the ultimate female right: the ability to choose when and if to become pregnant.

Despite the formidable roadblocks she faced, Sanger was steadfast in her cause. In the 1950s she teamed up with Dr. Gregory Pinkus. Together they developed a synthetic hormone that regulates the menstrual cycle and makes conception manageable.

The pill became available in the 1960s, and its first customers were married women. Despite resistance from religious and political authorities, more than 1 million prescriptions were filled in the pill's first year on the market.

Guests
David Allyn, author
Camille Paglia, author

Dr. Hall makes it a man's turn

The pill has become so widely accepted that nearly 80 percent of American women have used it since its debut in 1960.

But what about men? They make up half the conception equation. A male counterpart to the pill shouldn't be out of the question.

Dr. Joseph C. Hall is a biochemical engineer who, at the urging of his wife (the mother of their six children), has spent decades searching for a way for men to take on some of the responsibility for pregnancy. He eventually figured out how to block production of a necessary enzyme so that sperm would go "blind" and be unable to fertilize eggs.

The drug has had a 97 percent success rate in animals and is pending FDA approval.

Guests

Dr. Joe C. Hall, biochemical engineer
Geoffrey Miller, evolutionary psychologist
Dr. Art Caplan, bioethicist

The drawback of 'control'

A woman who postpones motherhood, whether for career or for personal reasons, may have a diminished chance of naturally conceiving when she's finally ready to become a mom. Having opted for a demanding career in television, Nancy Alspaugh found that her eggs had "dried up" when she tried to have children in her late 30s.

It's an unfortunate irony that the technology that gave women sexual and reproductive freedom also led to a vast number of women unable to bear children.

Nancy Alspaugh, former television executive and mother
Shelly Smith, director, egg donor program
Dr. Daoshing Ni, acupuncturist

With science, hope will not be lost

The pill was revolutionary. It opened a new way of life to women across the globe. And women are pursuing their fertility options well into their 40s.

Thanks to advancements in egg banks, women can freeze eggs in the prime of their lives and use them when they feel ready to embark upon motherhood.

As for the 21st century, the male pill stands on the contraception horizon, as do female inhalers and smart hormones.