Sheldon J. Segal, Developer of Innovative Contraceptives, Dies at 83

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Sheldon J. Segal, of New York City, who guided the development of long-acting
contraceptives used by more than 120 million women around the globe, died
October 17 at his Woods Hole, Mass. home. He was 83 years old.

Segal led a team of Population Council scientists in the research on and
development of Norplant, the first contraceptive implant; the Mirena
intrauterine system; and copper-bearing intrauterine devices (IUDs). He also
oversaw initial studies of contraceptive vaginal rings.

His 1999 book Is Menstruation Obsolete?, written with Elsimar M. Coutinho,
promoted the view that monthly menstruation is not medically beneficial. In
2003, Segal published Hormone Use in Menopause and Male Andropause: A Choice for
Women and Men, co-authored with his lifelong friend Luigi Mastroianni, Jr., and
Under the Banyan Tree: A Population Scientist's Odyssey, his analysis of the
effects of population growth and a passionate plea for the education of girls.

Segal's contributions to contraceptive development and reproductive health were
widely recognized. Among Segal`s many honors, he was decorated by the president
of India, where he had spent two years as a visiting professor at the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences and advisor to the Government of India. "He came
to us as a friend and left as a brother," said the president in his remarks.

Announcing Segal's death, Population Council President Peter J. Donaldson said,
"Shelly was one of the most influential and most respected figures in the
population and reproductive health field. His Council colleagues and his many
friends and professional colleagues around the world will miss his scientific
acumen, his warmth, his wisdom and good judgment, and his friendship."

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Segal enlisted in the U.S. Navy near the end
of World War II at the age of 16, rising to the rank of lieutenant, junior
grade. Segal enjoyed running, tennis, skiing, and sailing, often in Woods Hole,
Mass., where he spent his summers. He was a visiting investigator at the Marine
Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, serving as chairman of the board of
trustees from 1991 to 2002. He is survived by his wife, the novelist Harriet
Segal; three daughters, Amy R. Segal of Newton, Mass., Jennifer S. Madden of
Bedford Corners, N.Y., and Laura J. Segal of Watertown, Mass.; and seven
grandchildren.

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Population Council
Melissa May, APR, +1-212-339-0525
mmay@popcouncil.org
or
Diane Rubino, +1-212-339-0617
drubino@popcouncil.org

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