The Business of Birth Control

Once seen as the drug that revolutionised women’s emancipation, the politics of hormonal birth control has a more troubling history, as this film details.

The appearance of ‘the pill’ offered the freedom of choice to women and played a key role in the wider feminist movement. But the passing decades have witnessed more detailed examination of the drug’s effects. Abby Epstein’s film grapples with its history, from the racist legacy of hormonal contraception and its ongoing weaponization against communities of colour, to the potentially damaging effects on women’s bodies. Weaving together the stories of bereaved parents, body literacy activists and femtech innovators, the film highlights a new generation of women seeking holistic and ecological alternatives, while redefining the meaning of reproductive justice.