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This article examines key drivers for the evolution of hormonal contraceptive research, including changes in governmental (e.g., Food and Drug Administration [FDA], National Institutes of Health [NIH]) regulatory policies and pharmaceutical drug development. The modernization of regulatory guidances served as the catalyst for hormonal contraceptive research and set the foundation for the study of additional aspects related to women''s health and the inclusion of women in clinical trials in both the public and private sectors. The trends in hormonal contraceptive development over the past fifty years provide an interesting case study of the changes in women''s health care (WHC) research from an industry perspective. In both WHC research in general and hormonal contraceptive development in particular, an effort to improve the overall health of women has remained an overarching theme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]