> Would it have been better to ban birth control pills until we figured out a way to avoid contaminating waterways? What if we never figured it out? Honestly,

> Would it have been better to ban birth control pills until we figured out a way to avoid contaminating waterways? What if we never figured it out? Honestly, yes. The copper IUD was invented in the 1960s, not long after birth-control pills; besides, condoms had existed for a long time by that point. As far as contraception goes, the pill shouldn't be the first choice - many women experience significant mood changes from the hormones, and it's quite possible that the hormones circulating in the water have deleterious effects on both male and female fertility. I'm aware that the pill was a significant contributor to the sexual revolution, but the effects of that, 60 years later, are not uniformly positive.