Nelson, who at the time was also busy organizing the first Earth Day, called Senate hearings in January 1970 to investigate the problems Seaman's book addressed—that many women experienced severe side effects such as decreased sex drive, weight gain, heart problems, blood clots, and depression, but did not know that oral contraceptives were the cause.
Barbara Seaman, Alice Wolfson, and other women who had been involved in abortion demonstrations, decided to attend the hearings on Capitol Hill.
If you ladies would, ah...sit down..." Wolfson replied, "I don't think the hearings are any more important than our lives.
They also decided to create a nationwide network to educate women about potentially harmful side effects of the pill.
After the hearings, Seaman and Wolfson were joined by Phyllis Chesler, Belita Cowan, and Mary Howell, and together they founded the National Women's Health Network.