Enovid was the first oral contraceptive approved in the United States in 1960.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Enovid in 1957 for menstrual disorders and later approved it specifically for contraception on May 9, 1960. It contained the synthetic hormones noretynodrel and mestranol, which prevented ovulation when taken according to the prescribed schedule.
The approval followed research led by Gregory Pincus, with important clinical work by physician John Rock and support from birth-control advocate Margaret Sanger and philanthropist Katharine McCormick. The pill rapidly changed reproductive healthcare and became one of the most widely recognized medicines of the twentieth century.
Enovid is often confused with later contraceptive methods such as Norplant, an implant, or Depo-Provera, an injectable. Early Enovid contained substantially more hormone than most modern combined oral contraceptives, which were later reformulated to reduce side effects and risks.