Dr. Herbert Ratner was a physician who served as a senior advisor to La Leche League and founder of the National Commission on Human Life, Reproduction and Rhythm.[1]  Dr. Ratner was an opponent to the use of oral contraceptives, noting an increase in deaths of oral contraceptive users, and his vocal opposition resulted in a government mandating requiring that oral contraceptives include an insert detailing their known risks.[2]  Dr. Ratner also advanced the idea that life begins at conception, remarking, “It is now unquestionably certain that a human being comes into existence precisely at the moment when the sperm combines with the egg. From everything we know of genetics, it is proven that when the sperm and the nuclei unite, all of the characteristics, such as color of the eyes, hair, skin, etc., that make up a unique personality, are laid down determinately.”[3]