Chaos & Control Currents Media

The dominant understanding of the pill is that it was a great liberator of women. That, for the first time ever, it allowed women to take control of their reproductive destinies. But…is that true? 

In this week’s episode we set the stage for exploring the role of hormonal birth control in a post-Roe America. Like, what did birth control look like before the pill? Why have conversations around the pill become increasingly polarized? Is it possible to critique certain forms of contraception without compromising reproductive autonomy? And what does it mean when we put all the responsibility for preventing pregnancy onto women, especially in a landscape that’s increasingly hostile to reproductive rights?

When most of us think about the “birth control movement”, we likely think about chants of my body my choice, campaigns for birth control de-stigmatization, and the fight for reproductive rights more broadly. Today, it seems like a cornerstone of feminist thought, and something that unites the majority of women, right? But looking deeper, that hasn’t always been the case – nor is it always the case now. 

In this episode, we dive into the complicated, dark history of the birth control movement, and the effects that legacy still has today.

We trace the birth control movement through the Victorian era to the passing of Roe V. Wade. We explore the history of gynecology, how the fledgling American medical system worked to push out midwives and criminalize contraception and abortion, and the long legacy of state-sanctioned reproductive violence in the United States.

You can find all the sources & references for this episode at www.currentsmedia.co/chaos-control-sources

Questions or comments? You can reach us by email at contact@currentsmedia.co

In this episode, we explore the birth of the oral contraceptive pill – and the science, social backdrop, and exploitation of women that made it all possible.

You can find all the sources & references for this episode at www.currentsmedia.co/chaos-control-sources

Questions or comments? You can reach us by email at contact@currentsmedia.co

In this episode, we are going to be exploring the reproductive violence done under the guise of progress and humanitarian aid, through the lens of three different long-acting contraceptive technologies: The Dalkon Shield IUD, the Norplant Implant, and the Depo-Provera injection.

You can find all the sources & references for this episode at www.currentsmedia.co/chaos-control-sources

Questions or comments? You can reach us by email at contact@currentsmedia.co

Chaos and Control is a documentary-style podcast exploring the story of birth control in America. It takes a critical look at the history of the birth control movement and the development of the pill, the work and impact of various women's health movements, the criminalization of contraception and abortion, and the social and cultural systems that have shaped the current conversation around birth control.

Like, what is the role of hormonal birth control in a post-Roe America? Is birth control toxic? Why are so many women sharing their negative experiences? What does contraception free from coercion look like? And most importantly, how did we get here? Explore these questions and more—as well as interviews with historians, sociologists, doulas, and young women—in Chaos and Control.