The little pill that changed everything

Like Twiggy, Beyoncé and Madonna, it only needs one name. It’s been 60 years since the Pill revolutionised life for women in Australia and it’s still controversial.

WORDS by SAMANTHA TRENOWETH

Anne Summers’ motley history with birth control was much like other Australian women’s prior to the Pill. “There was no birth control as such for we teenagers, the Aussie trailblazer and author tells The Weekly. “It was ‘withdrawal and hope for the best’, with many days or even weeks of crippling anxiety while we waited for our periods to arrive. “If they did not arrive, the desperation of a girl in that situation is unimaginable today. The shame was scarifying and there were only three options: 1. A shotgun marriage (I had several friends whose lives changed forever that way); 2. Being bundled off in shame to a ‘home for unmarried mothers’ to have a baby and be forced to give it up for adoption; 3. An abortion, which was…

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The Australian Women's Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2021

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