Controversy Surrounding the Use of Contraception

Birth control is currently only available through prescription and some Americans want to change that, but that may not be in the best interest of the majority. There are flaws to both sides of the argument, keeping birth control prescription only and having it become over the counter. However, keeping this contraceptive off the shelves for anyone to purchase seems like the more logical response to this phenomenon.

Who should be responsible for stopping the 120 million sperm that are released during a male orgasm from fertilizing a female’s egg? The context of that question has been a societal debate in terms of the consequences of unplanned pregnancy and whether it is a female, male or both sexes responsibility to practice “safe sex”. Introducing the birth control pill for women in the 1960s created a huge controversy between sexual conservatives and the women who would benefit from the pill, but the responsibility still remained in the hands of women. However, as medicine has advanced and the possibility of a male birth control pill has amounted, many wonder if the same issues would arise if a male birth control pill did in fact become

Women spend over 37 million dollars on birth control annually, making it one of the most prescribed drugs on the market. 10,540,000 women are currently on some type of orally ingested birth control. Although only a few side effects are harmful, there are some rare cases of death from birth control. 23 women in the United States died from the common birth control pill, Yaz or Yasmin, just in this past year. So how safe are women that take this?

Humans have been engaging in sexual acts since the beginning of time. Sex has evolved from reproducing to sustain life, to being one of the most intimate experiences one can share with another. Knowledge about safe sex was limited, so people would have it whenever they pleased. Contraceptives were not widely available before the mid 1800s, so people would have unprotected sex and not know the serious implications it could lead to. As the years progressed, people realized that without taking the proper precautions, sex could leave them with life changing consequences, so something had to be done. In 1916, Margaret Sanger took it upon herself to open up the first birth control clinic where women could receive birth control. This was the beginning of the Planned

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

As of recently, the approval of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, for the use of girls as young as fifteen years old has stirred up quite some controversy (Belluck, 2013). Those who oppose it cite the diminishing moral values that this would impose on an already increasingly secular society. These individuals believe that having access to such a powerful substance would encourage young girls to engage in sexual promiscuity without any fear of repercussion (Belluck, 2013). However, proponents of this new law argue that giving full access to fifteen year old girls would discourage them from becoming pregnant at such an early age and gives them the opportunity to make wise decisions about their bodies. Aside from the two strongly opposing sides to this dilemma, the actual nature of the dilemma stems from the ease with which these young girls would be able to access the emergency contraceptive drug. Before the new law came into place, the emergency contraceptive was only available through the prescription of a doctor and could only be accessed through a pharmacist (Aleccia, 2013). With the new law, anyone fifteen or older would be able to access and purchase the drug over-the-counter. Granting such access to girls who may at times not be fully aware of the consequences of their actions is the nature of the dilemma.

In our society today, the topic of birth control and other contraceptives for teens is a stirring debate. Teens are more promiscuous and sexually active than ever before; as early as middle school, we are seeing more teenage pregnancies, STD’s, and abortions than ever. Teenagers are not comfortable discussing their sexual activity with their parents and as a result they are seeking out other ways to gain access to birth control and other forms of contraceptives without parental consent. Access to birth control reduces the number of unintended teenage pregnancies and abortions each year, and access to birth control also fuels teenage promiscuity and encourages sex outside of marriage.

Parents should be supportive to the child no matter what the situation can be or how hard it is to understand. The guardians of the minor have the right to know where they go and with whom they spend time with. This does not necessarily mean they can decide when their child should be ready to be sexually active. Regardless, it is going to occur when they feel that the moment is right. Birth control is not only valuable in protecting young teens getting pregnant, but also has its health advantages. To add to that, the child may want to begin taking birth control before they do so, but it becomes a very uncomfortable and awkward topic for a child to discuss with their parents. There are many unsupportive parents that become sensitive to this topic, and may deny birth control to their daughters. In other words, birth control should be available to teenage girls without parental consent.

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.

This week marks the forty-sixth anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, a document which clarified the Church’s moral teaching on contraception. What is contraception? Contraception is, “any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation whether as an end or as a means” (Humanae Vitae 14). There are various methods of contraception that temporarily or permanently sterilize a couple, thus making it impossible to have children. Contraception destroys the union and love between couples. In this we find that contraception violates God’s plan of procreation. Contraceptives go against the gift of fertility by treating pregnancy as a disease. The issue of contraception has drawn worldwide attention with people divided on whether it is morally permissible to use any form of contraception. Society views contraception as a development in the modern world that helps in the regulation of birth. We find that many Catholics don’t understand this issue and the Church’s teaching on contraception has been misunderstood. The Church makes it clear through Humane Vitae that any use of contraception is morally wrong, for it violates the dignity of marriage and God’s plan of procreation. It is our understanding that marriage is a sacrament of love between two people, instituted by God, for the whole purpose of continuing his plan of creation. Marriage is the foundation of

Within the pro-choice world there are many issues that are discussed like abortion, the instant where life begins and the use of contraceptives. This article will focus on not only the issue of using of contraceptives, but specifically the distribution of oral contraceptives (“the pill”) to teenage girls without their parent’s consent.

Those who disagree think providing birth control promotes promiscuity and premarital sexual activity. In the article “At Issue: Birth Control Availability,” the author argues that access to birth control and other contraceptives for

Birth control. Most of the women in America have tried some type of birth control during their lifetime. Currently, we are having debates to see if birth control should be free or at a lower cost to citizens. Why do we need birth control if we already have condoms? Do we really have affordable birth control? Can we get it easily? Does it do more than just prevent pregnancies? If birth control really helping women and the economy? In this research paper, I will be going over these questions. Birth control is a benefit to modern society and we have benefited from it greatly.

Ever thought birth control pills are highly recommended and no one really tells women about the effects. The dangerous effects of birth control can be critical. Women have not been informed, well enough of contraceptives, especially when looking back on birth control with women's health and choices.

"Contraception could, simultaneously, unleash female sexuality from repression, uplift sexual experience into mystical communion, and rid humanity of poverty and deformity." (Woloch 363)