Sri Lankan landscape within a woman's silhouette, with birth control pills subtly turning into lotus flowers.

The Pill in Sri Lanka: How Politics and Market Forces Shaped Women's Health

Mira Elwood in Health & Wellness June 2025 • 5 min read.

"Explore the complex history of birth control pill trials in Sri Lanka, where global health initiatives intersected with local politics and market dynamics."

The story of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka offers a fascinating lens through which to examine the broader global discourse on population control and its impact on individual lives. From the mid-1950s, the global pill trials sought locations to test and implement this new technology. Sri Lanka's experience reveals a complex web of interactions between international health initiatives, local politics, and the lived realities of women.

In 1959, Dr. Gregory Pincus, the inventor of the contraceptive pill, presented his groundbreaking work at a conference in Delhi. Dr. Siva Chinnatamby, a Sri Lankan gynecologist, seized the opportunity and asked for assistance in initiating a trial of the oral contraceptive pill in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This moment marked Ceylon as the first country in South Asia to voluntarily undertake clinical trials of the pill, beginning in 1961.

This historical context raises critical questions: Why was Sri Lanka chosen as a trial site at the global level? And how did local perceptions of the pill shift over time, from being labeled vanda pethi (sterility pills) in 1969 to Mithuri (female friend) by the mid-1970s? By exploring this transformation, we can better understand the complex interplay of medical, social, and ethnic factors that shaped women's reproductive health in Sri Lanka.

From Sterility Pills to Female Friend: Navigating the Pill's Perception

Sri Lankan landscape within a woman's silhouette, with birth control pills subtly turning into lotus flowers.

Initially, the introduction of the pill sparked discussions around morality and ethnicity. Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists, fearing a disruption of the ethnic balance, labeled the pill vanda pethi, associating it with sterility and a decline in the Sinhalese population. This negative framing reflected deep-seated anxieties about demographic shifts and cultural identity.

However, by the mid-1970s, a significant shift occurred. Through an IPPF-funded program focused on social marketing, the pill was rebranded as Mithuri, meaning 'female friend' in Sinhalese. This rebranding aimed to disassociate the pill from its negative connotations and promote it as a tool for women's empowerment and control over their reproductive health.

The IPPF Initiative: The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) played a crucial role in rebranding the pill and making it more accessible.
Social Marketing: This involved distributing contraceptives through retail channels like grocery stores and pharmacies, rather than solely through clinics.
Accessibility: By making the pill available over the counter, the program aimed to remove barriers and empower women to manage their fertility.

While the Mithuri campaign successfully removed the ethnic stigma associated with the pill, it also introduced new challenges. The over-the-counter availability meant women could access the pill without prior medical examination, potentially jeopardizing their health. This shift highlights the complex trade-offs between accessibility and safety in reproductive healthcare.

A Crossroads of Control: Women's Bodies and Shifting Agendas

The history of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka reveals how women's bodies became a contested ground where global health agendas, local ethnic politics, and market forces converged. The initial pill trials, while intended to advance reproductive health, inadvertently stirred ethnic anxieties and led to the pill's stigmatization.

The subsequent rebranding of the pill as Mithuri, while seemingly empowering, underscored the influence of market dynamics and the potential risks of prioritizing accessibility over medical oversight. This shift highlights the crucial need for a nuanced approach to reproductive healthcare, one that considers both the empowerment of women and the safeguarding of their health.

Ultimately, the Sri Lankan experience with the birth control pill serves as a reminder of the intricate ways in which global health initiatives are shaped by local contexts. It underscores the importance of understanding these dynamics to ensure that reproductive health policies truly serve the needs and well-being of the women they are intended to help.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1093/shm/hky076, Alternate LINK

Title: Birth Control Pill Trials In Sri Lanka: The History And Politics Of Women’S Reproductive Health (1950–1980)

Subject: History

Journal: Social History of Medicine

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Authors: Darshi Thoradeniya

Published: 2018-10-26

Everything You Need To Know

How did the birth control pill trials begin in Sri Lanka?

The birth control pill was initially introduced to Sri Lanka through clinical trials. In 1961, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) became the first country in South Asia to voluntarily undertake these trials. These trials were initiated after Dr. Siva Chinnatamby, a Sri Lankan gynecologist, requested assistance from Dr. Gregory Pincus, the inventor of the contraceptive pill, following a conference in Delhi in 1959. This early introduction set the stage for the pill's evolving role in women's health and the complex interplay of global health initiatives and local contexts.

What was the initial perception of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka?

The initial perception of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka was largely negative due to ethnic tensions. Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists labeled the pill "vanda pethi," meaning "sterility pills." This framing reflected anxieties about demographic shifts and the perceived threat to the Sinhalese population's dominance. This association with sterility underscored fears about the pill's potential to disrupt the existing ethnic balance, highlighting how the pill became intertwined with cultural identity and political concerns.

How did the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) influence the perception of the birth control pill?

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) played a significant role in changing the perception of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka. Through an IPPF-funded program, the pill was rebranded as "Mithuri," which means "female friend" in Sinhalese, aiming to distance it from the negative connotations of "vanda pethi." The IPPF also initiated social marketing strategies, distributing the pill through retail channels like grocery stores and pharmacies, making it more accessible to women. This initiative was designed to promote the pill as a tool for women's empowerment and reproductive health.

What does the shift from "vanda pethi" to "Mithuri" represent regarding the birth control pill?

The shift in the pill's perception from "vanda pethi" to "Mithuri" highlights the influence of social marketing and branding. The rebranding aimed to destigmatize the pill by associating it with a positive concept, "female friend." This shift, coupled with increased accessibility through social marketing, facilitated greater acceptance of the pill among women. However, it also introduced a critical trade-off, as over-the-counter availability meant that women could obtain the pill without medical examinations, potentially impacting their health and safety.

What broader implications are revealed by the history of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka?

The history of the birth control pill in Sri Lanka demonstrates the convergence of global health agendas, local politics, and market forces. Initially, global health initiatives led to clinical trials. These trials intersected with local ethnic anxieties, influencing the initial perception and stigmatization of the pill. The later involvement of the IPPF and social marketing aimed to reframe the pill and increase accessibility. This interplay illustrates how women's reproductive health became a focal point, shaped by various influences and highlighting the complex trade-offs inherent in reproductive healthcare, particularly concerning accessibility versus safety.