How come we've gone 60 years with these pills? There are women who have entire careers behind them in biology and medical science and we're still using these pi

How come we've gone 60 years with these pills? There are women who have entire careers behind them in biology and medical science and we're still using these pills. There have been a bunch of refinements to the pill as well as alternative options in the years since, but ultimately I think it's about finding something that works. It's hard finding new drugs and there would be a high bar for a new kind of pill. Progestogen-only pills were first used in 1968. Vaginal rings (like the NuvaRing), contraceptive patches, implants, depo-provera, spermicidal sponges, and diaphragms have all been tried (plus IUDs which slightly pre-dates the pill). Why haven't we had progress in all sorts of areas? Chemotherapy was developed before the pill and it's still widely used despite its side-effects. It doesn't mean that people aren't working hard on new cancer treatments. Discovering new ways of treating the human body is hard.