1950

• Philanthropist Katherine McCormick and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger collaborate to promote development of a physiologic contraceptive for women. McCormick agrees to fund the work of Gregory Pincus, a Harvard University physiologist.

1951

• Carl Djerassi, a chemist at Syntex, applies for a patent for the progestational agent known as norethindrone.

1953

• Frank Colton, a chemist at GD Searle, applies for a patent for the progestational agent known as norethynodrel.

1954

• Gregory Pincus and John Rock, professor of gynecology at Harvard Medical School, first administer synthetic progestins to women.

1956

• First large clinical trials of oral contraceptives begin in Puerto Rico.

1957

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves norethindrone (Norlutin; Syntex/Parke-Davis) and norethynodrel (Enovid; Searle) for �treatment of gynecologic disorders.�

1958

• Physician Lazar Margulies develops a plastic coil intrauterine device (IUD).

1960

• The FDA grants a contraception indication for Enovid, which makes it the first approved oral contraceptive.

1962

• The Population Council organizes the first international IUD conference; physician Jack Lippes presents data on his loop IUD designed with a monofilament tail.

1969

• The first copper-bearing IUD is described in medical literature by physician Jaime Zipper.

1971

• The Dalkon Shield IUD is introduced in the United States.

1973

• The U.S. Supreme Court legalizes abortion nationwide with its ruling on Roe v. Wade.

1974

• Marketing of the Dalkon Shield is discontinued in the United States.

1976

• The first progesterone-releasing IUD is introduced in the United States.

1988

• The Copper T380A IUD is introduced in the United States.

1990

• The FDA approves levonorgestrel subdermal implants (Norplant).

• The injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera), first tested in 1966, becomes available to U.S. women.

1993

• U.S. regulatory approval is given to the female condom.

1996

• The Filshie Clip is approved for use in tubal sterilization in the United States.

1997

• The FDA approves use of certain brands of oral contraception for emergency contraceptive use.

2000

• The FDA approves use of mifepristone for use in medical abortion.
• The FDA approves Mirena, the levonorgestrel intrauterine system.

2001

• The Ortho Evra transdermal contraceptive patch receives approval from the FDA.

2002

• The NuvaRing vaginal contraceptive ring gains FDA approval.

2003

• U.S. regulatory approval is given to Seasonale, the first extended-regimen oral contraceptive.