The pill: fifty years later

In May 1960 the Food and Drug Administration approved ‘The Pill’ as a legal contraceptive. It was soon marketed as a symbol of freedom and power for American women, who up until then had little power to completely control the way they planned for pregnancy.

It’s been fifty years since the Pill touched off feminist debates over sexual freedom and family planning. We talk with feminist writers (and mother and daughter) Erica Jong and Molly Jong-Fast about their personal histories and how the Pill shaped their perception of feminine power.

Give us your take. Let us know how the pill has affected you. Do you think that your generation has a different relationship with the birth control pill than your mother’s or your daughter’s?