Edris Roushan Rice-Wray (January 21, 1904 – February 19, 1990) was an American pioneer in medical research who was influential in studying the oral contraceptive pill.

[1][2][page needed] Rice-Way headed a large-scale clinical trial of the first birth control pill in the late 1950s in Puerto Rico.

[7] In order to prove the safety of the pill, researchers and activists including John Rock, Margaret Sanger and Katherine McCormick felt human trials had to be conducted.

[9][page needed] In 1937, a law had been passed in Puerto Rico that made it legal for married couples to receive advice about contraception.

In 1955, she was reported as saying, "When all Puerto Rican parents can have the number of children they want and can properly care for, much of the misery and desperation of our poorer classes can be eliminated...then employment opportunities, schooling, housing, medical and welfare services will have a chance of meeting the needs of our people.

In 1963, The New York Times reported on the details of her research as part of their coverage on a Planned Parenthood conference.

Gregory Pincus, who was often credited with creating the pill, would often cite the work of Rice-Wray as being instrumental to its success.

[21][22] As a result, for the first time in human history, a World Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt the Constitution for the Federation of Earth.