The introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s spurred a landmark moment for women, liberating many from the home and propelling them into the world. But this excitement overshadowed the side effects and hazards associated with the pill, which we now know may include a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.
“A lot of women are unaware of the cancer risk associated with hormonal birth control because the advent of the pill freed up the lives of women to enter the workforce more effectively,” says Beverly Strassmann, a human evolutionary biologist at the University of Michigan.
When radically altering the body with synthetic hormones, you can’t assume there won’t be side effects, she says. But the field hasn’t made significant progress, partly because contraceptives have provided women with tangible benefits.
