Contraceptives or birth control are methods that prevent unplanned pregnancies but are also used promote family planning, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and treat cosmetic and gynecological conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, about 45% of all pregnancies in 2011 were unplanned in the United States, which was a 51% decline since 2008.1 Of those about 50% resulted without birth control use and the other half reported using a method of birth control. In addition, of the 45% of unplanned pregnancies, higher rates are seen in adolescents and ethnic minorities, which leads to an increase risk for poor maternal and infant outcomes and an increase in abortions across the globe.2 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 16 million births to mothers aged 15-19 years old were reported in 2008.3 This represented 11% of births worldwide and of these births 95% were in developing countries.3 The 2014 World Health Statistics reported that the average global birth rate for 15-19 year old girls is 4.9%, where the rates are the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.4 Although there is no universal trend toward early initiation of sexual activity, the higher rate of pregnancies seen in teens, adolescents, and ethnic minorities can be related to cultural influences, gender and social norms, lack of sexual and primary education, improper use of contraceptives, and/or the restricted access of reproductive health-care services.3
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Over the last century, the birth control pill was introduced as an effective form of contraception, creating a huge milestone in public health. In its brief lifetime, birth control pills have already evolved and improved in their effectiveness of contraception, as well as, other health benefits. However, where there are benefits, there are also risks. Numerous studies have been conducted on the correlation between birth control pills and blood clots in women. Specific types of birth control pills have been proven to increase the risk of developing blood clots. Specifically, drospirenone-containing birth control pills and certain oral combined contraceptive pills (OCCP) have been linked to increased risks of blood clots. The issue
The first step is to __D__efine the research question. You can structure or define your question in two ways. In some cases, you can use a __free-form question__ where you are asking a simple question such as, “Is hormonal birth control safe?” However, this question is very open because there are many factors that can factor into the safety of using birth control in a patient such as method, patient age, or health status. A more defined or __structured question__ would be, “What are the risks of stroke in women over 40 at high risk for blood clots taking hormonal birth control compared to the same population using non-hormonal birth control or no birth control?” The second question is a better question because it is measuring the possible
Upon entering class, it could be imaged that anyone who sat down to watch the movie, “The Pill”, would spark an interest in investigating contraceptives. Before watching this film, I assumed that the research that was need to develop a contraceptive would have been more widely accepted and tolerated, instead of protested. Women would have eight, nine, sometimes more than ten children all before the age of thirty-five because of the lack of contraceptives. After watching only a few minutes of the film, I understand the reasoning behind the intolerance. With the reign of the Roman Catholic Church, the thought of discussing contraceptives was unbearable, much less the act of receiving them. The church pronounced that by taking birth control women
According to the Oxford American College Dictionary, power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. In order to gain the most power humanly possibly you do not have to be remembered, your action needs to be remembered. Power is the ability to help others benefit out of an action. If given the opportunity to go back in time to irrevocably alter the future, I would take the opportunity to invent the birth control pill in advance of time.
Teen pregnancy and the risk of it remains a serious issue for today’s adolescents. In 2015, there were 229,715 babies born to women from the ages of 15 to 19 (Martin). Accidental teen pregnancies could be prevented if more comprehensive sex education was taught at school and birth control was more accessible and affordable for teens. Guttmacher Institute lead a study on the issue of birth control and teens. The results showed that an 8% increase in use of contraceptives related to a 42% drop in pregnant teenagers over the course of seven years (Spadafino). Even though birth control has been proven to lower the risk of unwanted pregnancies, our society still views it as a taboo topic.
Where in the first world would one expect the teen pregnancy rate to be the highest? Surprisingly, it is the United States that has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any first world country, more than double the rate of twenty other first world countries and almost ten times greater than that of Switzerland. While some of the disparity can be attributed to factors such as income inequality, the presence of abstinence only education has a major impact on birth and STD rates in the United States in comparison to other countries with more comprehensive programs. It is clear that this difference in approaches has a significant effect, and the United States needs to act to ensure the health of its citizens. Urgent actions are necessary
Throughout the years the methods of birth control methods have been changed since anyone can remember. Women have went from using acacia leaves with honey, to using a magic pill (PBS, People & Events: Birth Control Before the Pill). Preventing pregnancy meant choosing to wait to have a family. Since the pill was invented, it had caused women to gain power and independence. To this day, four out of five every sexually active women in the U.S. have taken oral contraceptives at some point in their lives (Bloomberg, Birth Control Pill Advanced Women's Economic Freedom).
When choosing a type of hamburger, one is given a menu with different types of flavors to choose from. Just like the hamburger menu, there are many types of contraceptives a woman is able to take into consideration for use. It may not be as easy to choose one, but it all comes down to the one that suits them the most. One of the most common used birth control by women is the oral pill. This birth control pill is a medication that women take daily to prevent pregnancy. Birth control pills undoubtedly arise confusion as to how they work. Even with all the birth control confusion, the pills are the safest birth control compared to the Depo-Provera shot, IUD, and birth control implant.
Contrary to popular belief, the notion of “birth control” has been around for centuries, going back to the days of Aristotle who is thought to be the first person use different herbs and oils as spermicides (www.pbs.org). In an age where pregnancy prevention and contraception is extremely prevalent, it is interesting to think of a time where it was just as prevalent, but preformed without the medicines and modes of contraception we use today. Despite the history that surrounds the controversy of “birth control,” which is still relevant to this very day, the amount of women who partake in contraceptives is astounding. Approximately 62 million women in the U.S. are at the age of childbearing years (15-44) and approximately 43
"Teen pregnancy in the United States: In 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15-19 years old, for a birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is another record for U.S. teens and a drop of 8% from 2014. Although reasons for the declines are not totally clear, evidence suggests these declines are due to more teens abstaining from sexual activity, and more teens who are sexually active using birth control than in previous years. Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations, and racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in teen birth rates persist (cdc.gov)." As teenagers (in the United States), we are peer pressured or tempted to try new things. Some teens tend to try out drugs, and alcohol. However, some are having unprotected sex in which, is leads to having babies. This is called, teenage pregnancy. This has caused the United States to create records based off of the statistics and facts given from, researchers across the United States. In order to help prevent teenage pregnancy in the United States, teenagers must understand why, having a baby now isn’t such a smart move on their part.
Birth control has prevented many unwanted teen pregnancies, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen births in the United States reached a historic low in 2015, which can be explained in large part by an increased use of contraception among young people” (Gebelhoff, Robert). As of right now, women have to get a prescription to get oral contraceptives from their doctor. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this movement to make access to these contraceptives is supported by them. Although, teenagers are more likely to use birth control pills compared to using condoms, they are not being influenced by their sexual or emotional pressures. This article also says, the public-health benefits from
Lyons, Linda “Assessing the Patterns That Prevent Teenage Pregnancy” Health Source-Consumer Edition Spring 99, Vol. 34 Issue 133, p.221,
Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are used by women to prevent pregnancy all around the world. The pills contain two female hormones called estrogen and progestin that prevent ovulation. In other words, it basically is a very effective way to keep women from getting pregnant. It also helps treat acne problems in some women, and helps ease symptoms involved in menstruation.
Women make up half of the world’s population, yet many do not have access to resources that would improve their lives. Family planning, which allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine the spacing of their pregnancies, is achieved through the use of contraceptive methods. The promotion of family planning is vital to female autonomy, and also helps support the development of communities. Access to contraception, the deliberate use of artificial methods or other techniques to prevent pregnancy as a consequence of sexual intercourse, varies across the world. However, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 225 million women in developing countries would “like to delay or stop childbearing but are
The possibility that a young woman does not wish to have children or does not feel ready upon marriage is essentially ignored in most developing nations. Should a woman wish to postpone childbearing, she may encounter difficulties finding contraceptive methods. “The most commonly reported reasons for unmet need [for contraception] are lack of knowledge, health concerns, and social disapproval” (Casterline & Sinding, 2000 as cited in Levine et al., 2006). The lack of female education about contraception in countries where it would be of greatest aid is a major indicator of why maternal mortality is still such a prevalent issue. In American, “woman have to get prescriptions for contraceptives from their health care providers”, and there is a multitude of information available to women who wish to use contraception (Hansman, 2014). Many women in poor areas of developing nations do not have regular access to health care providers, resulting in both lack of information and materials to implement family planning practices. Contraception in general is a delicate matter due to the stigma attached in societies where high fertility is culturally valued. Reactions from “government policy [or] the way a husband might perceive his wife’s use of birth control” can be deterrents for a woman to abandon her own desires to refrain from pregnancy (Hansman, 2014). It can be argued that even if proper contraceptive methods were provided to women in developing nations, the actual usage is