The History of Birth Control and Society Essay

Over the counter birth control pills have been a topic of discussion for many women. Some might say it would pose many risks such as not receiving medical checkups and not knowing the side effects of birth control pills. Others may see it as a helpful to women because of the convenience of accessing the pills and not having to take time to schedule appointments. Additionally, due to health care and insurance policies some women might not have an easy access to birth control pills but the cost should not be a factor. Although over the counter birth control would allow an easier access for women, there are reasons why a doctor’s visit and a prescription are required to receive birth control pills.

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 Birth Control Movement of 1912 in the United States had a significant impact on Women’s Reproductive Rights. Women in the 1800s would frequently die or have complications during or after childbirth. Even if the woman would have died, they would still have a great amount of children. As the years progressed into the 1900s, the amount of children being born dropped. Because of this, birth control supplements were banned, forcing women to have a child that she was not prepared for or did not want to have in the first place.

Prior to the 3000 BC, women tried various birth control methods. Some of the common methods included

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

A desire to limit the number of births was not new during the period from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. Women would try exotic forms of birth control to prevent and space births as well as control the size of families. Some ways females would try to prevent births were by soaking sponges in vinegar, baking soda, green tea, raspberry leave, or white oak bark and inserting them. Another accepted idea was to sneeze, cough, or squat after sexual relations. At this time, the most used form of birth control was coitus interruptus, withdrawal,

Before the introduction of modern birth control, gender roles emphasized the responsibility of women to conceive and raise children. Although this began to change in the in the mid-twentieth century, with the introduction of the first hormonal birth control pill, Enovid, taking place in 1960, it was not readily accessible during that time period (Buttar and Seward, 2009, p. 1-3). This did not change during the time period immediately following the introduction either; five years after the introduction of Enovid, there was still controversy surrounding the use of contraceptives. In the Supreme Court case of Griswold v. Connecticut, the legality of birth control on the market was debated, and the case concluded with the allowance of hormonal contraceptives, but it was limited to married couples only under the right of marital privacy (George and Lewis, 2016, p. 1). The controversy and secrecy that surrounded the use of birth control shortly after its introduction indicates that although it was certainly present and used in society during this time period, it still carried the negative social connotations of the past, which prevented it from being socially normalized. In contrast, the standardization of birth control in society took place decades later, from approximately the 1990 to 2010s.

Women in today’s society have never known a time when contraceptive options were not available to them. As a general statement, acquiring some sort of contraceptives whether it is the pill, patch, condom, emergency contraception, or another of the many types of birth control is not difficult with the many options available to women today. However, backtrack to the early 1900’s and the story was completely different. In 1916, Margaret Sanger made contraceptive history by opening the first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York. The fight for birth control began. It was not until years later in 1960 that the birth control pill was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and since then many other varieties of birth control have made their way into the market (Kim & Wasik, 2011). Today, thanks to those like Margaret Sanger who fought for contraceptives, women and couples who wish to avoid pregnancy have more choices than ever before. (Egarter et al, 2013; Perry, 2015).

Around 3000BC condoms were made using intestines and fish bladders, which lead to the first spermicides in 1500 which consisted of linen cloth, soaked in chemicals and dried (A Brief History). However, the modern push towards birth control started in Great Britain when overpopulation began to be an issue. According to Birth Control (2013) many forms of contraception were already being used, such as rubber condoms, diaphragms, chemical suppositories, vaginal sponges and medicated tampons. According to Brodie (1998) women wanted to control fertility so badly that they believed that they had an infertile or sterile time of the month where it was physically impossible for them to become pregnant. This was called the “Rhythm Method” and was very often ineffective. It was Margaret’s dream that women would be able to practice sexual freedom in the same way that men have always been able to (Witherbee,

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

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.

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

Birth Control is defined as various ways used to prevent pregnancy from occurring. Birth Control has been a concern for humans for thousands of years. The first contraception devices were mechanical barriers in the vagina that prevented the male sperm from fertilizing the female egg. Other methods of birth control that were used in the vagina were sea sponges, mixtures of crocodile dung and honey, quinine, rock salt and alum. Birth Control was of interest for a long time, but women did not worry to much about it because child death rates were so high. They felt they needed to have many children just for a few to survive. In the early 1800's death rates began to drop and people began to show concern for controlling

Many women complain about birth control because they don’t want to get fat. That to me sounds ridiculous because either you gain a little weight by taking birth control or you gain a lot when you actually become pregnant. So if you don’t want to put your life on hold then I suggest you think of methods to avoid becoming pregnant. I’m not saying it’s bad to be pregnant but it all comes at its own time and you don’t want to be surprised one day and find out you’re going to be a young or single parent. Birth control has its benefits and you should explore your options before it’s too late.