Birth Control: The Griswold V. Connecticut Case

In terms of the Catholic Church’s point of view on certain subjects, their view on contraceptives is the most dissented. Out of the 63 million women in the children bearing age (15-43) within the US, 43 million are both sexually active and do not want to have a child. Out of these 43 million, 89% use contraceptives. The most common forms of birth control include the pill (or “day after pill”), tubal sterilization, the male condom, and vasectomy (Facts on Contraception). A survey in 1998 taken by “Catholics for free choice” claimed that 96% of catholic women had used contraceptives at some point in their lives and that 72% of Catholics believed that one could remain a good catholic without obeying the Catholic teaching of birth control (Catholics free choice). Out of the 24% of Americans that are identified as Catholic, only 1.5% of those that are

One of the most significant happenings that the Birth Control Movement was responsible for was the creation of the birth control pill. In 1948, Margaret Sanger, biologist Gregory Pincus and physician John Rock began to research and develop the birth control pill. It got approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1960 (Kaufman). This oral contraception is a type of medication that women take daily to prevent pregnancy because these pills contain hormone that prevent a woman’s eggs from leaving the ovaries and making cervical mucus thicker which keeps the sperm from getting to the eggs (Planned Parenthood). Plannedparenthood.org stated that within five years of its approval, the birth control pill was used by one out of every married women

The battle for reproductive rights began well over a hundred years ago. At a time when families were producing more children than they could afford to feed, many women were seeking primitive forms of birth control and undergoing abortions. It was in the 1860s that a postal inspector turned politician named Anthony Comstock, in partnership with the Young Men’s Christian Association, set out on a crusade to condemn all forms of birth control and any kind of abortion by claiming they violated “anti-obscenity laws” (Baer). These men eventually succeeded and created the Comstock Laws in 1873 that prohibited all “sales, advertising, or information on birth control” (Baer).

Birth control has been a controversial topic since the 1960’s, when the pill arose on the scene and gained popularity. Men and women of certain religious faiths have sought to prevent other women from using birth control. However, most women want to be able to choose when the time is right for them to have a child. This is why birth control is essential, because it allows women and couples in general the freedom to choose and plan their families. In many cases the need to control women by controlling their access to birth control goes all the way to the federal government. The federal government determines what types of birth control are allowed on the market and who has access to them. Some Presidential administrations look more kindly

The Appellant, Estelle Griswold, had been counseling married couples at the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, located in New Haven. The counseling aimed to give them medical advice as well as information about different types of contraceptives, such as devices or drugs. Ms. Griswold would meet with married couples and discuss which form of contraception was the right fit for the patient. Due to the fact that these actions broke a Connecticut law that criminalized counseling about birth control, Griswold and one of her colleagues were both found guilty. Nine days after the Planned

Imagine living in a world where birth control did not exist or was considered illegal to all women. This is the reality that women from our history dealt with for many years. Until the year 1965 birth control was banned for women living in the state of Connecticut. Whether married or unmarried the simple right of contraception, or asking a pharmacist about preventing pregnancy was illegal. This law prohibiting the practice of contraception was changed with the help of birth control activist such as Estelle Griswold. Griswold appealed the law in the popularly known case of Griswold vs. Connecticut. Her claim for legalized birth control helped changed the future for women living in the state of Connecticut. The revised law gave married women the freedom and privacy to take charge of their bodies and prevent unwanted pregnancies with the practice of birth control.

Recently in Colorado, a religious man in a Planned Parenthood unit in Colorado Springs shot four people. Religious protesters often surround the Planned Parenthood’s unit in Stapleton, where the abortion procedures take place. It is clear that religion plays a big role in women’s health issue. However, if abortion is a very sensitive matter because it would be a murder for some individuals, using birth control is as despicable as using condoms – which no one considers to demand a prescription for. For those who seriously believe that life starts right at the fecundation moment, birth control should not pose an issue. And if there’s a study that proved that abortions among teenagers dropped so considerably, turning the birth control more accessible should be something desirable, at least to avoid a “greater

Contraception is a critical issue for women of all ages and social class because the decision to have a baby impacts a woman’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Contraception is also very costly and is an expense that a woman primarily shoulders. Not every employer’s health insurance plan provides benefits for prescription contraceptives and devices. A personal survey of 50 adults with varying types of insurance plans, asked if their health insurance plans provided coverage for birth control, Viagra, or abortion. Everyone surveyed maintain that his plan provides coverage for Viagra, a sexual enhancement drug, and abortion. The same survey showed that 26% of the insurance plans do not provide benefits for Food and Drug

I now know my role in life is to give all women education and knowledge of birth control. Women represent a sizable group in the community, yet they play a very limited role in the public life. Women portrayed in local newspapers and public records are frequently reminded of their subordinate roles. I created a movement not only in the United States, but all around the world in hopes to bring awareness about the control of female fertility. I traveled all throughout Asia and Europe lecturing and educating the importance of prevention. Concerned with the health of my patients and feminine rights, I decided to become an activist and social movement leader. While taking my studies abroad to understand the methods of birth control, I found that this method of contraception will free women from the tyranny of uncontrolled childbirth and from the inequality of the sexual experience. (National Women's History Museum, n.d) I have gained support from my followers and those with the same desire to distribute my knowledge and resources. I finally had to take a stand to alter the law through the National Committee of Federal Legislation for Birth Control (NCFL). In 1921, I opened the American Birth Control League which later became Planned Parenthood. During 1965, the case

Birth control pills to most are viewed as a pill that is used to help prevent pregnancy, knowing that, many people do not think that they should be sold without insurance; because they feel if you want to risk getting pregnant, you

Churches have different views about the rightness and wrongness of birth control. In Liberal Protestant Churches it is acceptable to use birth control, as long as it is not used to encourage promiscuous behavior. More conservative churches suggest that contraception should be only for married couples who are using it to regulate the size and space in their family but, using it to not have children at all is looked down upon. The only way to not have children is the ‘natural’ way which is abstinence. One of the many ways Christians use to attack birth control is going against education about contraceptives techniques in sexual educations classes making them abstinence only programs like Arizona for example is a law that sexual education teachers must only teach abstinence. Also TV stations refused to run ads for any contraceptives at all for a long time. “Christian protesters are able to get public ads for contraceptives taken down if they are able to argue that even the suggestion of sexual activity qualifies as obscene, or somehow in violation of community standards (Cline). Jobs like Hobby Lobby wouldn 't even allow birth control to be covered in their job insurance they said that they too should not have to cover certain emergency

One of the many purposes of birth control is to avoid unwanted pregnancies. In this day and age the decision to take birth control should be a mere right and not a debate, but society has still not fully accepted the use of birth control even though “ninety-eight percent of women use birth control at some point in their lives” (Milligan, 2014, p. 3). Birth control has unfortunately earned a negative stigma because it allows women to have sex without getting pregnant and that is frowned upon throughout parts of society. Some members of society have even compared the use of birth control to abortion. Women who choose to take birth control should not be judged and the use of birth control amongst women should no longer be considered disgraceful. The reliable access to birth control should be made available to all women no matter their race, age, and class.

Argument: Birth Control reduces teen pregnancy, it is not the same as a termination of a pregnancy, and it is something that needs to be covered by insurance because of these reasons.

Birth control came about from women who were obligated to have families and not letting it be a choice. Many women have heard about contraceptives that are advertised on tv, magazines, and even from a family doctor. Women knew very little of what birth control could do or even prevent. Women thought that just by taking birth control it could prevent pregnancy. They were not well informed that all body

Health care and what people are legally allowed to do with their bodies have created controversy galore throughout history. A particular point of debate is the topic of birth control and the government. A dangerous couple, it raises the question of who should have control over contraceptive laws and what controls involving them should be put in place? Currently, under the Obama Administration, the Affordable Care Act and “Obamacare” have been created. One of the sections of this new plan creates a mandate which requires private businesses to provide insurance that covers birth control costs. The government should not be able to force businesses, and therefore the American people, to pay for birth control via health insurance because it