History of Birth Control 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. During the early 1900s, American nurse Margaret Sanger led the birth-control movement in the United States. She and others opened clinics to provide women with information and devices. Although frequently jailed, she and her followers were instrumental in getting laws changed. In subsequent years, laws against birth control gradually weakened, and more effective methods were developed. Now a days there are several different methods of birth control. The first that I am going to talk about is called the rhythm method. As its synonym implies, this method is based on the assumption that, for each women, there is a rhythmic pattern of menstruation and ovulation that can be identified by keeping a careful record of the dates of menstruation. A second assumption is that ovulation occurs 14 days before the onset of the next menstruation. The rhythm method is the most commonly used of the natural methods. To be used successfully a record should be kept for at least six menstrual cycles. The fertile period is then defined by a set of rules for example: The length of the shortest cycle less 18 days marking the start of the fertile period and the length of the longest cycle less 11 days marking the end of the fertile period. This is the only birth control method that has received the Catholic Church’s seal of approval. The next natural way of avoiding the use of contraceptives is called the Basal body temperature method. In a normal, ovulatory cycle the temperature of the body measured on awakening, called the basal state, rises by 0.2C to 0.5C during two or three days following ovulation. This rise is defined as one in which three consecutive daily temperatures are at least 0.2C higher than the six daily temperatures preceding the shift. This rise reflect the secretion of progesterone from the corpus luteum. The unplanned pregnancy rate of this method is about 11.
Dorothy Wardell’s article titled “Margaret Sanger: Birth Control’s Successful Revolutionary” explains what inspired Sanger ideas on contraception and what problems she faced while working to change the notions and laws on Birth Control. The central argument presented by Wardell is that Sanger’s efforts led to privileges for women’s bodies and health centers providing methods for women to act on these privileges (Wardell, 736). Although Wardell is effective in supporting her argument, it would be stronger if she included some historical context and evidence of Sanger’s opinion in her own words found in a speech of hers and in Family Limitation.
Margaret Sanger was, at large, a birth control activist, but this speech was more about the questioning of birth control corrupting morality in women. People must remember, in the day and age where Sanger presented this speech, November 1921, women were considered very far from equal and much closer to servants or maids. In her speech, I saw that ethos was present in the sense that she gave herself credibility. Through Sanger’s detailed words and actions, and her statements including the presence of scientists and, or, professionals, the masses of listening people could infer that she was very well informed and solid in her statements. Though she presented herself as agreeable, Sanger was firm in her beliefs. In addition, Sanger says, “We desire to stop at its source the disease, poverty and feeble-mindedness and insanity which exist today, for these lower the standards of civilization and make for race deterioration. We know that the masses of people are growing wiser and are using their own minds to decide their individual conduct” (Sanger, par.15). To me, Sanger made herself appeal to the audience by using the word ‘we.’ In the practice of ethos, this focused on the author more than...
"A free race cannot be born" and no woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother"(Sanger A 35). Margaret Sanger (1870-1966)said this in one of her many controversial papers. The name of Margaret Sanger and the issue of birth control have virtually become synonymous. Birth control and the work of Sanger have done a great deal to change the role of woman in society, relationships between men and woman, and the family. The development and spread of knowledge of birth control gave women sexual freedom for the first time, gave them an individual identity in society and a chance to work without fearing they were contributing to the moral decline of society by leaving children at home. If birth control and Sanger did so much good to change the role of women in society why was birth control so controversial?
Margaret Sanger was the founder of The American League of Birth Control which later became Planned Parenthood and her argument in those times was that it was not fair for women who were from a lower class could not have access to Birth Control.
Sanger, one of the pioneers of modern birth control, founded Planned Parenthood which was an
One way of determining fertility is the basal body temperature method, where a woman takes her temperature at the same time each morning before getting out of bed. In a lot of women, body temperature rises about one degree on the day of ovulation and stays raised for several days. This kind of contraceptive method can only is used in a stable and ongoing relationship, a relationship wherein sexuality is respected and the relationship is unitive. People often decide against this option because it is only 81 percent effective. Catholic couples that use Natural Family Planning will have to except and care for the child that my result from that 19 percent, this is not a problem recognized in the Catholic faith, as sex to them must be procreative. Many people use contraception so that a relationship can be avoided but this is not procreative or unitive so again this argument for contraception is dismissed by the Catholic Church.
Contraception, contragestion, (preventing the fertilized egg from implantation - morning-after-pill) and the chemical or surgical induction of abortion are all types of birth control routes to prevent or end pregnancy (“What”). Contraception is the devices, drugs, agents, sexual practices, or surgical procedures to prevent a pregnancy. Contraception tends to help a women decide if and when she would want to have a baby (“What”). There are around 17 different types of birth control methods. According to the article from Oxford there are three main categories of contraception. They are the barrier methods, intrauterine, and the hormonal methods (“Contraception”). They vary from a pill, patch, shot, an implant and a condom to name a few. The most common type of contraception for women is the birth control pill. This pill includes estrogen and progestin to stop the release of the egg and thin the lining of the uterus. If the contraception device is used correctly, only about 3 in every 1,000 women will beco...
Samuel A. Pasquale, M.D., and Jennifer Cadoff, The Birth Control Book: A Complete Guide to Your Contraceptive Options, New York: Ballantine Books, 1996
The first form of birth control came in the form a pill and was approved by the FDA in 1960(qtd in Gladwell ) The pill was said to be the safest form of birth control because it was safe and said to be a natural form of birth control. John Rock was a well know man around the community. Loretta McLaughlin writes, "It was his name and his reputation that gave ultimate validity to the claims that the pill would protect women against unwanted pregnancy.”(qdt in Gladwell) Even back then, with all the research that they set out to do the pill was still know to cause cancer in young women, not only cancer but the miscarrying of children shortly after taking the pill.
The aspect of sex and the use of birth control were touchy issues in the early 20th century. Sex was only for married couples that wanted to have children. The idea of sex before marriage was crazy. Because of all the beliefs about sex being only for procreation and not for pleasure birth control was not needed. There was one major event and one key person who are responsible for making the use of birth control acceptable in America. The major event being World War I. In World War I there was a lot of usage of whore houses by the French and English soldiers. A major problem with the French and English governments allowing men to go to the whorehouses was that there was rapid spread of VD. A soldier that is suffering from herpes, syphilis, or gonorrhea doesn’t fight too well. President Wilson was very concerned about the American soldiers getting sick and not able to fight. He also wanted to stop the spread of VD Wilson decided that during boot camp the soldiers would be taught about VD’s, and the effect of them. The recruits had to take a sexual education class. In the class the men were shown pictures and movies that showed what various vaginal diseases looked like, and what they would do to a mans sex organs. This was an effective in stopping the American soldiers from going to the French whorehouses. Another program the U.S. Government instituted to stop the spread of VD was to give out condoms to the soldiers.
During the early height of women’s rights in the 1960s “the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of the first birth control pill in the United States” (Jacoby). It wasn’t until 1994 when the first state (California) “forced insurance plans to cover contraceptives if they covered other kinds of prescription drugs” (Birth Control Funding). While people may disagree with the religious aspects and the medical risk of taking birth control, the benefits of birth control still span as far as family planning, medical benefits other than family planning, and fewer unintended pregnancies.
In 1960, The Federal Drug Administration approves the birth control pill, which was supported by women activist Margaret Sanger. Sanger also opened the first birth control clinic in the United States. California became the first state to legalize abortion in 1967, which motivated women activist to petition towards legalizing abortion throughout all states. In 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States, which held women liable to choose abortion without legal restriction. However, not all states incorporated Roe v. Wade and states that did were limited by other laws. Such as, in the first trimester terminating a pregnancy could only be due to a medical decision, or in the second trimester terminating a pregnancy could only be proceeded if it was protecting the health of the
Birth control began as diaphragms, also known as womb veils, became a popular method of birth control. 1950 While in her 80s, Sanger underwrote the research necessary to create the first human birth control pill. Then in1960 The first oral contraceptive, Enovid, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as contraception. Feminists challenged the safety of oral contraceptives (the Pill) at well known from Congressional hearings. Most birth control pills are "combination pills" containing a mix of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation and they release of an egg during the monthly cycle. The Pill is 91% effective. It doesn’t protect you from STDs. Use a condom with your pill to help stop pregnancy and STDs. Most
In the United States, out of all pregnancies 52 percent are unplanned. This is strictly from misuse of birth controls or lack thereof. Of all the 52 percent of unplanned pregnancies only 5 percent were from contraceptives failing. Although there are numerous different forms of contraceptives most of them are geared more towards women. Women have the option of; Abstinence, Implants, Patches, pills, shot, sponge, Vaginal Ring, Cervical Cap, Diaphragm, and finally the IUD.
The most commonly used methods of birth control are the condom and the pills. The pill is taken once a day and a pack should be completed every month. Combination pills contain estrogen and progestin. Others are progestin-only. Pills contain hormones that work in different ways. The condoms are a sheath made of thin latex or plastic to cover the penis before intercourse to keep sperm from joining egg. No matter how old one is , it is very important to use condoms with another method of birth.