Final answer:
The ready availability of oral contraceptives, especially the birth control pill approved in 1960, was a key factor of the sexual revolution. It gave women more control over their reproductive lives, leading to greater freedom in their personal and professional lives and contributing to significant changes in sexual behavior and attitudes.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the contributing factors to the "sexual revolution" in the West in the 1960s and 1970s was the ready availability of oral contraceptives, specifically the birth control pill. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the birth control pill in 1960, which played a pivotal role in liberating women from the restrictions of pregnancy and childbearing. This allowed women greater freedom to work, attend college, and delay marriage. Within five years of the pill's approval, it became widely used by approximately six million women.
The spread of information about birth control by activists such as Margaret Sanger also contributed to changes in sexual behavior and family planning. The popularization of contraception, alongside the private space automobiles provided to teenagers and unwed couples, led to changing sexual norms. Advances in medical science and contraceptive technology, such as more reliable condoms and the introduction of other forms of birth control, contributed to the overall cultural shift.
Contraceptive sales soared, and the cultural narrative reflected this shift, with a more open discussion and depiction of sex and sexuality in the media, further evidencing the changing attitude towards reproductive rights and sexual freedom during the era.