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the pill

Have you ever heard Loretta Lynn's song "The Pill"?

One of the first women of country to really "tell it like it is" was singer Loretta Lynn. She was never shy about her life.

Her song "The Pill" — released in 1975, 15 years after the birth control pill was introduced— was no exception. Take a listen:

That's right, a major pop star singing about birth control way ahead of her time! Whoa.

It's sometimes hard to find songs these days that have any depth beyond their catchy beat. But in 1975, Loretta Lynn nailed it.

She wasn't just trying to grab headlines — Loretta had four kids by the time she turned 20. So if you feel some truth in her delivery of this song about a rural farm wife who's grateful for finally having some control over her own body, you wouldn't be remiss.

"The Pill" outlines some of the reasons women getting control over their bodies is awesome. Here are seven.

And all in one catchy tune, to boot.

1. Ownership over the financial consequences of childbirth and child-rearing.

Remember how your mom got you dressed and got you presents and smiled the whole time? Though she certainly relished the opportunity to give love to her family, it's no easy task! Image via Smithsonian Institution/Flickr Commons.

It's crazy to imagine a time just over 50 years ago, when the pill didn't exist. How did married couples do it?!

Well, in the case of Loretta's in-song character, she got pregnant a lot:

But all I've seen of this old world
Is a bed and a doctor bill

Preach! If life is a constant roll of the reproductive dice — one that results in the major financial and emotional investment that is raising a new human being — you probably won't be able to see much more than "a bed and a doctor bill."

But not anymore:

There's a gonna be some changes made
Right here on nursery hill
You've set this chicken your last time
'Cause now I've got the pill

It's no coincidence that the lyrics compare a woman without birth control to a chicken laying eggs. But there's humanity and power in having a choice.

2. More diverse clothing choices.

They look great! But they deserve greater. Image via The Library of Virginia/Flickr Commons.

Speaking of choice...

This old maternity dress I've got
Is goin' in the garbage
Miniskirts, hot pants and a few little fancy frills
Yeah I'm makin' up for all those years
Since I've got the pill

Get it, girl!

Miniskirts are the perfect way to make up for the never-ending maternity-wear struggle. Even though there are better maternity choices now than there were in the '70s, maternity wear shouldn't have to be all-the-time-wear.

Image via McCalls Patterns/Mikhaela Reid/Flickr Commons.

3. A body that doesn't get overused.

This incubator is overused
Because you've kept it filled

It's a little bit edgy to compare yourself to a roosting chicken, but when you think about it, this lyric is intentionally jarring. Women are people, so why should they be made to feel like chickens, subject to the reproductive decisions of others?

That's right. It's MOM's turn to get pushed around in a stroller, kiddo. Image via Internet Archive/Flickr Commons.

As Mary Beth Powers of Save the Children told CNN, 1 in 7 women giving birth in developing nations will experience complications, which is even more dangerous when they are far from advanced medical care.

4. The chance to see the world.

Image via Internet Archive/Flickr Commons.

You wined me and dined me
When I was your girl
Promised if I'd be your wife
You'd show me the world

This one's a double-edged sword.

Essentially, the character is saying: "We got married and we were gonna conquer the world together. And now we can!" Which is awesome.

But it also shows just how far we still have to go on a lot of issues, as Loretta references a time when a woman needed the financial support of her husband to see the world.

5. A new reason for men to be happy, too.

Teamwork — not just for modern folk. Image via Missouri State Archives/Flickr Commons.

When it comes to reproduction, men play a pretty important role. So there's plenty of reason for them to be happy about safer, um, marital relations.

The feelin' good comes easy now
Since I've got the pill
It's gettin' dark it's roostin' time
Tonight's too good to be real
Oh but daddy don't you worry none
'Cause mama's got the pill

See? The "feeling good" comes easy now! All genders can breathe sighs of relief.

6. Being more than just "mothers-in-waiting."

Image via The Library of Congress/Flickr Commons.

If you're constantly on deck to have and care for kids, that can become your sole way of being seen by society. It's true!

All these years I've stayed at home
While you had all your fun
And every year that's gone by
Another baby's come

I'm tired of all your crowin'
How you and your hens play
While holdin' a couple in my arms
Another's on the way

When women gained control over their bodies, they also gained control over how society views them.

Neat!

7. No more being the default caregivers.

Raising kids is cool, but it doesn't make me want to sing a song about ironing. Image via Internet Archive/Flickr Commons.

This chicken's done tore up her nest
And I'm ready to make a deal
And ya can't afford to turn it down
'Cause you know I've got the pill

For so many generations, women's work was taken for granted. But it has value. And with control comes power.

I'm not certain just what deal the character is making here, but the point is, with control over her body, she's also in control of her future. It could be a future of caregiving, and that would be great. It might also include an education — or maybe even a fabulous country music career, à la Loretta Lynn.

To many, Loretta's acknowledgement of birth control was scandalous. But it was also very successful.

"The Pill" was such a scandal in country radio that it was banned from some stations, stalling its performance in country radio at a time when a Loretta Lynn single was almost a guaranteed #1.

But the song was such a sensation in the music world overall that this sly, tongue-in-cheek song about birth control was Loretta Lynn's highest-charting single in pop music, hitting #70 on the Hot 100.

In a world that's fraught with conflict around choice, let's celebrate how far we've come and how much more control ladies in America have gained in just a few generations.

Love'em. Image via Internet Archive/Flickr Commons.

Good job, America.

Family

No, you shouldn't need a doctor to get birth control. Just look at Oregon.

Oregon and California now allow for women to get the birth control pill without a prescription. Will other states follow?

In its more than 55-year history, birth control pills have been available only by prescription in the U.S.

And in that time, the pill has become the go-to contraceptive choice for sexually active women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 4 in 5 sexually experienced women have at one point taken the pill. It's considered highly effective, with a more than 90% success rate.

Still, despite its popularity and track record of relative safety, the process of actually acquiring hormonal contraceptives has required women to get prescriptions.

Planned Parenthood publicity director Marcia Goldstein looks at New York bus ads in December 1967. Services like those provided by Planned Parenthood have helped low-income women access birth control for decades. Photo by H. William Tetlow/Fox Photos/Getty Images.

For women in Oregon who use the pill, getting a refill just got a lot easier.

In July, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed House Bill 2879 into law, granting pharmacists the right to dispense oral contraception without a prescription. That law went into action Jan. 1, making Oregon the first in the nation to cut out the middleman (the doctor) in this low-risk transaction.

"Oregon has the rare opportunity to drive the national conversation around women’s health, family security, and poverty," said the bill's sponsor, state Rep. Knute Buehler. "This will become landmark legislation that reduces unplanned pregnancies, gives women more control, and affirms Oregon’s reputation as a leader in health care innovation."

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed the bill into law on July 6, 2015. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight-Pool/Getty Images.

21% of low-income women who are at risk for unintended pregnancy are likely to use the pill if it's available without a prescription.

That's according to a 2015 study published in the health journal Contraception. Additionally, researchers found that making the pill available for free and without a prescription would reduce the number of women using no birth control or less effective methods by 20-36% and bring down the number of unintended pregnancies by 7-25%.

Fewer unintended pregnancies is a win for everyone.

Photo from iStock.

The new law also makes additional training available for pharmacists.

Some of the law's opponents have expressed concern that pharmacists may not be equipped to handle certain situations. After all, if the pill has required a prescription all this time, there must be a reason for that, right?

"Oregon has the rare opportunity to drive the national conversation around women’s health, family security, and poverty." — State Rep. Knute Buehler

Well, it's not as though the pill isn't without some risk — all medications have some risk of side effects. It is possible that hormonal birth control can lead to blood clots, heart attack, high blood pressure, or stroke — and it's important to take those risks seriously.

But that's not reason enough to keep the pill hidden behind a doctor's prescription pad. After all, other safe medications have made the shift from prescription-only to over-the-counter — such as Flonase, Nexium, Allegra, Zyrtec, Mucinex, Claritin, nicotine patches, and, well, you get the point.

To assuage those concerns, the bill's supporters included a provision that will ensure pharmacists are qualified and informed on the topic of birth control, side effects, and risk factors.

Photo by iStock.

Other states aren't far behind Oregon.

In 2013, California passed a similar bill. Ever since, the state's Board of Pharmacy has worked to develop a plan of action for pharmacists. Beginning Jan. 1, pharmacists in California began dispensing birth control without a doctor's prescription. California's plan differs from Oregon's in a few minor ways, but the sentiment is the same: one less barrier to women's health care.

Lawmakers in Colorado and Washington also have taken up similar legislation.