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Risks of using contraceptives
History of contraception essay
Birth control movement 1960s
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The Center for Disease Control conducted a study on contraceptive use; their findings concluded “four out of five women have used birth control pills” during one point of their lives (Basset). Birth control pills have been around for over six decades, and their popularity has significantly increased during the past decade. Thousands of sexually-active women are turning to birth control pills as a way to prevent unplanned pregnancy, regulate periods, and to control acne. Nonetheless, birth control pills are synthetic hormones that influence the female body in severe ways. In fact, doctors and media are not presenting the menaces of consuming birth control pills in women; instead, they disguise the risks with commercials of synchronized swimmers. The risks of consuming these toxic pills outweigh the benefits; women must become aware of the effects birth control is having on their bodies and find alternatives to pharmaceutical contraceptives.
In 1960, birth control was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for contraceptive use (Nikolchev). Since then, birth control pills have had a tremendous impact in the American culture. Women were now able to prevent unplanned pregnancy without the consent of their partners and eliminating the use of condoms and other dual consent birth control methods. Birth control pills contain two important hormones: estrogen and progesterone. Natural estrogen is a hormone that is produced in the ovaries and helps regulate the menstrual cycle (Rettner). According to Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Steven Goldstein, “progesterone is a hormone that stimulates and regulates important functions, playing a role in maintaining pregnancy, preparing the body for conception and regulating the menstrua...
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Hergenrader, Jamie. "The Dangerous Side of Birth Control." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 31 July 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
High Blood Pressure and Women." American Heart Association. The American Heart Association, 05 Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Nikolchev, Alexandra. "A Brief History of the Birth Control Pill." PBS. PBS, 07 May 2010. Web. 14 Mar. 2014
"Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk." Cancer.gov. National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health, 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014
Rettner, Rachael. "What Is Estrogen?" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 20 July 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
"Sexual Health, Birth Control And Condoms." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
"What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism?" National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute. National Institutes of Health, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Since 1912 Sanger had dreamed of a pill that would provide cheap, safe, and effective contraception. In 1951 Margaret Sanger met Dr. Gregory Pincus, a biologist whose expertise was in the field of fertility. Planned Parenthood Federation of America provided a grant to research the effect of progesterone on ovulation. Dr. Pincus’ research supported earlier findings that progesterone acts as an inhibitor to ovulation. With these findings, Margaret Sanger was able to convince Katherine McCormick, a wealthy heiress, to provide the funding for Dr. Gregory Pincus to develop the first birth control
Subsequently, the provided documents on the birth control movement did show the push and pull factors of the complicated and multifaceted debate. Americas push towards industrial growth, and technology demanded that the subsequent progressive reforms were needed for a society ushering in a new era. At the same time, fear and reluctance to abandon tradition and religious custom acted as the pulling factor. The birth control debate was a complicated and heavily charged debate teemed in religious, social, political, and racial rhetoric. Historical documents help shed new light on the things taken for granted today, even the most seemingly innocuous things like birth control were fought for, so that men and women today could be in charge of their own destinies.
When legally introduced to society in 1960, the Pill stirred up a long period of controversy. The availability of the Pill had great impact on women’s health, social life, laws, religion, family, relationships, morality and sexuality. Initially conceived to be highly effective and safe, the Pill left many women with side effects – few which led to several fatalities. Before the Pill was created, many women postponed sex due to the social norm and fear of becoming pregnant before marriage. Families grew large and it was typical for a woman to have multiple children caused by the lack of birth control. Due to regulations, such as the Comstock laws, many people supported the prohibition of the Pill and other family planning practices. However, many women believed in the right to control their own body when it came to procreation. Despite the controversies, the Pill left lasting impacts, such as by opening society to the sexual revolution and...
educating women more on the pill and the way it works, the after effects of
Watkins, E. (2012). How the pill became a lifestyle drug: the pharmaceutical industry and birth
Watkins, Elizabeth Siegel. Genesis Of The Pill. On the Pill: A Social History of Oral
Weimar, Carrie. "Women taking birth control pills for reasons other than contraception." UF Health Podcasts. UF Health Communications, 1 February 2012. Web. 8 Dec 2013.
A thin, stretchy sheath about two inches in diameter and six to eight inches long, designed to be worn over penis during sex. Condoms form a physical barrier between penis and the vagina. After ejaculation the tip of the condom holds the semen and prevents it from traveling to woman's reproductive system to fertilize the egg.
Two major types of birth control are contraceptives and condoms. Condoms prevent STDs by stopping the flow of semen in to the vaginal canal. Contraceptives are more complex. Birth control contraceptives help to prevent pregnancies by combining the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent the egg from being released during the monthly cycle. Not only do the contraceptives prevent the egg from dropping but they also thicken the mucus around the cervix making it hard for sperm to enter the uterus just in case any eggs were released. (Hirsch 1)
million women used this method in the U.K, which is 1 in every 3 women
The most popular form of birth control is the pill. The reason for this is that it is said to be very effective against pregnancy if used correctly, it makes menstrual periods more regular and lighter, they decrease menstrual cramps and acne, makes you less likely to get ovarian and uterine cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts, and anemia, and last but not least, it doesn’t interrupt love making. Those are the good things about the pill. There are also a list of negative things: the pill doesn’t protect against S...
Although birth control has been practiced since ancient times, the first organized efforts developed during the 19th century as population increased dramatically because of improved medical care, nutrition, and sanitation. However, birth control met with resistance. In 1873 the United States Congress enacted the Comstock Law, which prohibited the distribution of birth-control devices and information.
The Morality of Birth control originally surfaced as a pamphlet in 1918, which questioned the morality of denying knowledge surrounding a drug which could prevent pregnancy women. In 1913 Margaret Sanger worked as a nurse in a New York. There Sanger watched one woman fall ill from a household abortion. The doctor told this women to avoid pregnancy she should “have her husband sleep on the roof” (Richmond Edu, Par. 7). A few months later Sanger found the same women dead after a second self-inflicted abortion. This horrendous event pushed Sanger to advocate a right she believed all woman should have.
"People and Events: The Pill and the Sexual Revolution." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014.
What exactly is birth control? Birth control means things that can be done to ensure that pregnancy only happens if and when wanted. Nowadays there are a great variety of ways to assure birth control. However, there is only one way that can be considered 100 percent secure. The more it is known about birth control options, the better chances of avoiding an unwanted pregnancy and reducing the risks of getting a sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS.