The Backstory, Episode 2: Loretta Ross on the Dalkon Shield Disaster

Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants are becoming increasingly popular as birth control methods. Between 2011 and 2013, the number of women using an IUD increased 83 percent from the previous four years, according to a 2015 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

Though today LARCs are recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as very safe and effective methods of birth control, they have a troubled history that have made many people slow to accept them.

In the second episode of our miniseries CHOICE/LESS: The Backstory, Loretta Ross, one of the founding mothers of the reproductive justice movement, talks about how her experience with the infamous Dalkon Shield IUD inspired her career as a human rights activist.

Note: This updated episode features a correction of a minor audio issue from the previous version.