Esquire publishes Steinem's early feature on the 'contraceptive revolution' and changing sexual attitudes on college campuses.
On September 1, 1962, Esquire magazine published Gloria Steinem's feature article "The Moral Disarmament of Betty Coed: The Contraceptive Revolution." The piece examined how the increasing availability of oral contraceptives was transforming sexual behavior and attitudes among young women on American college campuses.
This assignment was among Steinem's first major pieces of serious journalism, coming after several years of freelance writing following her graduation from Smith College and a formative period studying in India. The article demonstrated her early interest in issues that would later define her career: the intersection of sexuality, autonomy, and social control over women's bodies.
At a time when women journalists were frequently relegated to "soft" topics or denied bylines on serious social commentary, Steinem's willingness to tackle contraception and campus sexual culture in a prominent national magazine was itself notable. It foreshadowed the analytical, issue-driven journalism that would later make her a leading feminist commentator.
The piece is often cited by biographers as an early marker of Steinem's evolving voice—one that would soon shift from observational journalism toward explicit advocacy for women's rights, culminating a decade later in the founding of Ms. magazine.