The birth control pill was responsible for the beginning of the sexual revolution in the 1960s. The pill made it possible to have sex without consequences. That ended gradually with the avalanche of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that accompanied unbridled sex.

In Great Britain, a survey of nearly 2,000 women conducted by the Office for National Statistics revealed that an equal proportion preferred condoms and oral contraceptives. Health officials were pleased with the survey's results because condoms prevent pregnancy and STDs. The survey, however, noted that women were more concerned with preventing STDs through condom use than men. (BBC News, October 20, 2009)