Last year, the birth-control pill celebrated its 50th anniversary, and while much has changed in the world since the pill's early days, one thing remains a constant: side effects. In fact, newer "third generation" birth-control pills might actually be riskier than their older counterparts, with new research concluding they're three times more likely to cause dangerous, possibly fatal blood clots. The news has commentators wondering why improved birth-control options haven't hit the market in recent decades. Why isn't birth control getting better?
Big Pharma doesn't care about the female market: American women need better birth control — 20 percent of us are unhappy with the method we're using, says Ann Friedman at GOOD. "Are pharmaceutical companies so busy inventing illnesses and wooing doctors that they can't bother to invest in R&D for a product for which 99 percent of American women are potential consumers — not to mention the rest of the world?" Apparently, the answer is yes, drug makers can make more money elsewhere, so women are out of luck.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Do smartphone bans in schools work?The Explainer Trials in UK, New Zealand, France and the US found prohibition may be only part of the solution
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequelThe Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtripThe Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
