Puerto Rican Birth Control Trials?

A deep dive into the Puerto Rican Birth Control Trials

In the book of American History there exists a haunting chapter that intertwines the threads of female autonomy, societal expectations, and a controversial advocate. A tale that led to many Puerto Rican women being unknowingly sterilized. 

As I delved into this unsettling narrative the focus turns to the infamous Margaret Sanger. A polarizing figure of her time, Sanger's pursuit of contraception alternatives led to a collaboration with doctors John Rock and Gregory Pincus. However, the Comstock laws cast a dark veil over their endeavors, stifling public discourse on contraception.

This pushed them to Puerto Rico to begin unethical birth control trials. Vulnerable populations, predominantly women, became unwitting subjects in a macabre experiment involving the oral contraceptive pill Enovid. The pills were dispensed without proper research, turning a blind eye to the potential side effects that would plague the lives of these women.

The specter of eugenics loomed large over this story, as Sanger's motives to control what she deemed "undesirable populations" came to light. The twisted intersection of race, class, and population control left an indelible mark on the lives of those coerced into sterilization under the guise of societal betterment.