Birth Control

Carl Djerassi was a chemist in Mexico city that created the first pill that synthesized hormones in 1951. In 1957 the FDA approved the pills for women with menstrual disorders but just three years later the pill was released for sexual protection. Some states still made this drug illegal and it went against many people’s morals. In 1997 the pill was expanded to treat acne (A Brief History 1-2). The pill has come a long way and is still continuing to form in this evolving society. Less than seventy years ago we didn’t even have an oral option for birth control. Today we are fighting over whether the pill can be available over the counter or not.

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

Healthcare professionals are faced with a multitude of ethical and legal conundrums. Since the introduction of birth control in American history, healthcare professionals have been put in situations to either follow their own moral and ethical beliefs, or choose to follow the law and give healthcare services to those who seek it. A large constituent to the disapproval of contraceptives other than natural family planning, is health professional’s religious beliefs. In addition, Adolescent females who need contraceptives are less likely to seek access to health care providers for these contraceptives in fear of personal information due to their age being released. Through the research provided, cases of pharmacist denial of prescribed or over the counter contraceptives to women have been the majority of conflict in this nation and in others.

Public discussions of birth control were criminalized under the Comstock Act of 1873 because people believed it was immoral. Margaret Sanger, who had opened the first birth control clinic in 1916 despite the Comstock Act of 1873, was a feminist and advocate. After serving prison time, Sanger returned publicly and illegally with drive to present a strong argument that defended the moral use of birth control. Prior to her morally controversial 1921 speech, Sanger was arrested in New York for her intent to advocate public knowledge pertaining to birth control. Although the ethical nature of using birth control is still controversial in America, Margaret Sanger’s 1921 speech “A Moral Necessity for Birth Control” was undoubtedly a catalyst for

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

Birth control is utilized by a large portion of sexually active women in the United States (Planned Parenthood). Its benefits are innumerable. The uses of birth control spread through a wide variety of domains, from the prevention of diseases, to the treatment of disorders ranging from anemia to endometriosis. It can be used in conjunction with condoms in order to assure effectiveness and, as a whole, allows women to take control of certain aspects of their futures. Birth control is a fundamental aspect of many women’s lives and yet it remains a point of

Although societies with rigorous rules such as the ancient Greeks practiced the use of birth control and the invention of modern contraceptive methods---such as condoms, diaphragms, and douches---have been around since the early 1800’s, birth control still did not prevail in the twentieth century and was highly controversial. Margaret Sanger gave people a new and radical ideology stating how birth control helped women in many more ways than their sexuality. Sanger published many literature pieces about her opinions on options and freedom for women in society. Several other women and doctors acknowledged her argument by broadcasting it during the Progressive Era. When the 1920’s came around,

Women today may have more choices but it has not always been this way. “Women of the past often didn’t get much a choice about their sexuality” (Bringle). However by 1950s, a pill to prevent pregnancy was created. Though this contraception was created, it was hard to get. A birth control advocate, Margaret Sanger, “attacked legislative restrictions on birth control”, informed many women the uses and positive aspects of using contraception, and encouraged doctors to give contraception guidance by opening “the first birth control clinic in New York in 1916” (Bringle). Even after the widespread information of birth control, the accessibility of it today is low. This pill is a necessity for women in today’s world and should be made more accessible. To use contraception, a doctor has to prescribe it and this prescription is rarely covered by

Although the majority of women can receive birth control from their insurance companies, there is still a need for over the counter birth control. Recently, contraception in the United States has become more of a political issue rather than a public health issue. Present-day contraceptives come in a variety of forms, but still have the same function; to prevent unintended pregnancies (Cartwright-Smith 541). Cartwright-Smith also stated that in addition, certain hormonal contraceptives are prescribed to treat medical conditions such as severe menstrual pain, excessive menstrual bleeding, acne, migraines, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids (541). There have been arguments about how over the counter birth control leads to “promiscuity”. Moreover,

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).

Birth control seems to be a fundamental part of people’s lives in this day and age. Some people simply do not want to have children until they feel the timing is right. Others, may never want to have children. It would seem logical to respect their choice and allow them the freedom to decide what is best for themselves. Yet, in the late 18th century the Comstock Act prevented the mailing of any type of contraceptives within the United States (PBS). One brave woman in particular was willing to stand up and challenge not only the Comstock Act but also the idea that contraceptive use is immoral. This woman is Margaret Sanger. Margaret Sanger took a stand for women’s rights by using her writing as a means of education, which challenged government regulations and eventually resulted in a shift in the overall acceptance of birth control.

Born to a socialist father who was also an early advocate of women’s suffrage, from him Margaret Sanger inherited her political pluck. This woman spent her life helping women take control of their own bodies and be educated; she is responsible for the plight of women in being able to reversibly prevent pregnancy through the use of a drug she pushed to get created known as “The Pill”. Margaret Sanger was over 80 years old when the first pills became available and by the end of the 1960’s there were many millions of women using the new form of birth control even though the Catholic Church and some states considered it vulgar and obscene and outlawed the use in preventing pregnancy. Ultimately this progressive change in thought and culture to women being able to control their own fertility and therefore be able to work outside the home; this also created a counter culture “sexual revolution” where women felt freer to express their own sexuality without the fear of becoming pregnant – while others saw this a moral decay of individuals and family. Conclusively the majority of people are happy with the results of Margaret Sanger work to provide women with a safe and healthy choice in preventing pregnancy but other are happy that only part of her philosophies were adopted by

This organization she created gave physicians the opportunity to distribute contraceptives. It took some time and obstacles to overcome such as the Catholic Church and doctors who did not agree with this course of action. “In 1936 the U.S Court of Appeals ruled that physicians were exempt from the Comstock Laws ban on the importation of birth control materials.” (The Margaret Sanger papers). In the 1920s and 30s Margaret began to travel and speak about birth control in Europe. Along for the ride was Edith How- Martyn, a British feminist who wanted to accomplish the same outcomes as Sanger. Together they both created the Birth Control International Information Centre. This being after World War II, the population has increased in third world countries so they deemed it necessary in being there to support this

Birth control has been studied for many years. Over the year’s people have discovered so many new things and applications. The history of birth control and the society around us has been affected by the impact of laws and the people.

Birth control which is also formally known as contraception or fertility control are methods or devices used to prevent pregnancy. Birth control methods have been used for many years dating back all the way to ancient times. In fact Egypt has some of the earliest documented birth controls. For example the women there would use honey, acacia leafs and also lent to stuff up their vaginas to block the male sperm from entering. This has mainly to do with the religious view of the women. The Roman Catholic Church only agrees with natural family planning however there are a number of Catholics whom accept and agree with modern birth control methods. Also according to allaboutbirthcontrol.com Muhammad, who the Muslims believe to be the last and