The "boom and bust phenomenon": the hopes, dreams, and broken promises of the contraceptive revolution.

The "boom and bust phenomenon" is a pattern that has emerged in the development, introduction, and delivery of a number of significant new contraceptive products in the United States. When a new contraceptive product is introduced with great promise and publicity, it usually experiences a "boom" during which sales, demand, and expectations are high. This boom is often followed by a "bust" phase during which a product does not live up to expectations, initial excitement falls off, and a drop in sales and use ensues. The boom and bust phenomenon goes to the heart of what some have referred to as the failed promise of the contraception revolution by creating obstacles to significant expansion of contraceptive choice in the United States. Case studies of oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, and Norplant(R) are used to illustrate the boom and bust phenomenon and the effect it has had in shaping the direction of advances in contraceptive technology.