Mad Men, Sad Women

The Sexual Revolution Has Been an Unmitigated Disaster

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Enovid for use as an oral contraceptive in 1960, “the Pill” was celebrated as the ticket to liberation for women. In the opening episode of the TV series Mad Men, which was set in 1960, new-hire secretary Peggy Olson was introduced to working-girl life by having her office manager take her to a doctor on her first day on the job so she could go on the Pill. Several 1960s and 1970s shows included scenes of the liberated woman pulling out her little packet and popping the day’s tiny tablet into her mouth. The message was clear enough: the Pill was an integral component of modern female life. But has it made women’s lives better? Has it made...