In 1969, when Cowan was working at the University Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she began researching the effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES), which was also known as the "morning after" pill.
However, Cowan had heard from her friends that the pill caused severe nausea for a short period of time and some cases of pregnancy that lead to children with cancer.
Knowing this, Cowan brought together a group of women former patients at the University of Michigan's student health center and organized Advocates for Medical Information.
[4][5] This group aimed to educate women in the side effects of the DES pill and to oppose the use of it at the University Hospital and other health centers in the country.
After concluding her research about the horrific side effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES), Cowan believed that women around the country should know about the fraudulent drug.
In 1974, Belita Cowan, Barbara Seaman, Phyllis Chesler, Mary Howell, and Alice Wolfson established the National Women's Health Network.
[7] This was a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that aimed to give women a louder voice in the healthcare system.