歷史記載:
避孕藥（“The Pill”）
1953年，應瑪格麗特·桑格（Margaret Sanger）的要求，美國生物學家格裏高利
G.
平卡斯（Gregory G. Pincus）著手研製口服避孕藥。利用化學家卡爾·傑若西（Carl
Djerassi）和弗蘭克·科爾通（Frank Colton）（為不同的制藥公司工作）早期的激素研究成果，格裏高利
G.
平卡斯能夠合成口服避孕藥。然後，與哈佛大學產科醫師約翰·洛克（John Rock）一起（實際上主持這一人體試驗研究工作的是在該機構的著名華裔生殖生物學家張明覺博士，在生殖生物學中他的其他重要貢獻包括”精子獲能”和植入中的“同步作用”——校者注。），他起初在馬塞諸薩州、後來在波多黎各對這種口服避孕藥進行了人體試驗。1960年，口服避孕藥在美國（洛杉磯——譯者注）規模化投入使用。可是，因為首批避孕藥含有過量的激素，以至於有嚴重的副作用，不久就被禁用。因此，隨後新研製避孕藥的激素含量被進一步減少，直至達到現今為絕大多數婦女安全使用的規範劑量。 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
卡爾·傑若西
Carl Djerassi
(b. 1923)
|
弗蘭克·科爾通
Frank Colton
(b. 1923)
|
格裏高利
G.
平卡斯
Gregory Pincus
(1906-69)
|
約翰·洛克
John Rock
(1890-1984)
|
|
他們的聯合導致首批避孕藥的研製成功。
Their combined research led to the development of the first contraceptive pill.
|
|
|
|
無論避孕藥是否或因此使女性增加了性自由，它遭致許多團體的強烈抵制，其中抵制最為強烈的團體是天主教。這使約翰·洛克感到非常哀傷，他仍然始終堅信避孕藥是一種完全符合其宗教信仰的“自然的”避孕法。 |
|
Contraception |
|
A
Complex
Issue
|
Historical
Notes: “The Pill”
In 1953, at the request of
Margaret Sanger,
Gregory G. Pincus, an American biologist, started working on the development of an oral contraceptive. Taking advantage of earlier hormonal research by the chemists
Carl Djerassi and
Frank Colton, who worked for different pharmaceutical companies, he was able to produce a contraceptive pill. Together with
John Rock, an obstetrician at Harvard, he then began human trials of the new pill first in Massachusetts, later in Puerto Rico. In 1960 the pill became generally available in the US.
Soon it turned out, however, that the hormonal doses in these first pills were much too high and that they had severe side effects. Subsequently, therefore, the dosage in newer pills was reduced further and further until the manufacturers arrived at the formulas used today that are safe for most women. |
|
In spite - or because - of the increased sexual freedom the pill brought to women, the pill encountered enormous opposition from many quarters, most prominent among them the Catholic church. This greatly distressed John Rock, a devout Catholic who remained convinced to the end that the pill was a "natural" form of contraception completely in line with his religious belief. |
