At one point in history, the pill was heralded as a medical marvel, a way to unshackle women from an unwanted future. For female equality and independence, no invention of the 20th century has been more life-changing; as Gloria Steinem said, “Not everyone with vocal chords is an opera singer. And not everyone with a womb needs to be a mother. When the Pill came along we were able to give birth—to ourselves.”
But if you’re a young woman scrolling through TikTok today, chances are you’ll soon come across a video on the pill—if you haven’t already—suggesting its reputation has gone the way of Diddy or skinny jeans. There are very few things that have left-wing hippies and right-wing incels in agreement, but this seems to be one of them.
