For decades, Cosmopolitan has provided young people with the information they need to protect their bodies and own their choices when it comes to topics like birth control, sexual health, fertility, and abortion. We were there, reporting and spreading awareness before abortion became legal nationally—and we were there after the Supreme Court recently overturned that fundamental right. Through it all, we’ve published in-depth guides and deeply personal accounts of how people in this country think about, promote, restrict, and access reproductive freedoms. Below, we take a look back at how our coverage has evolved—and how it’s remained the same—over the years.
July 1967: “I Didn’t Have the Baby. I Had the Abortion”
One woman examines the emotional complexities of having an abortion and recounts how challenging it was before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized the procedure via Roe v. Wade.
November 1967: “Living With the Pill”
In 1960, the FDA approved the first birth control pill, but years later, people still
had plenty of questions. This thorough, four-page guide answered everything from “How does the pill work?” to “Could it mask cancer symptoms?”
February 1970: “A Gynecologist Tells the Reassuring Truth About the Pill”
A compassionate male gynecologist offers a simple and timeless truth: “The only difference between making love and making a pregnancy is a contraceptive.”
July 1972: “The New CU-7 Birth Control Device”
Before it was even available in the U.S., we educated readers on the then-new copper IUD.
March 1987: “I Went (Undercover) to an Anti-Abortion ‘Clinic’”
A first-person account from a woman who was lured into an anti-abortion “clinic” where, instead of getting actual health care, she received one-on-one counseling from a series of anti-choice extremists. Their goal? To guilt her out of her decision to have an abortion.
November 1984: “The Trauma of Abortion”
A writer’s personal story finds a delicate balance between stark honesty about the emotional and psychological aftermath of having an abortion and the urgent insistence that no woman should feel shame for getting one.
January 1995: “The Fierce, Furious March of the Fundamentalists”
This deeply reported feature details the rise—and dangers—of the Christian anti-abortion movement.
March 2001: “Find the Best Birth Control for You”
To “put an end to contraception confusion,” this story meticulously explains every then-current option: how it works and how to get it.
April 2016: "How to Have a Safe Abortion”
As politicians enacted new restrictions on later-term abortions, this 12-page story explained the laws while also detailing how to still access vital resources.
November 2018: “Birth Control: Will It Become the Ultimate Luxury?”
Legislators in President Trump’s first term went after accessible, affordable birth control. We examined exactly what was at stake in this comprehensive guide.
February 2022: “Welcome to the Era of Contraceptive Skin Goo”
When researchers started testing a male contraceptive gel, Cosmopolitan got special access to the early trials. We sat with participants and revealed how the potentially groundbreaking birth control method for men could change everything.
June 2022: “It’s Not Over”
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, our fervent response included an original survey, deep legal context, the debunking of misinformation, rallying calls from reproductive rights leaders, and current resources.
October 2022: “Vans Not Bans”
Post-Roe, we kept our efforts up, publishing this compelling look inside a secret fleet of mobile abortion clinics.
Spring 2025: “Post–Birth Control Syndrome Is Real”
In a culture where any discussion about reproductive freedoms feels once again urgent, we broke down what might happen to people after quitting hormonal birth control.
