Men and women together: the impact of birth control technology on male-female relationships.

Abstract

The authors argue that "birth control technologies have fundamentally altered the nature of male-female relationships.... New sequences of love, intimacy, sex, and marriage in male-female relationships emerged. The expanded number of choices for individuals has simultaneously created new freedom and opportunity, as well as uncertainty and confusion in male-female relationships. New norms for cross-sex interactions and the new post-birth control morality are still evolving." The geographic focus is on developed countries.