Research Paper on Birth Control: Options for Fertility Control & Family Planning

Introduction

Birth control is also known as fertility control or contraception. It generally refers to all the methods and even devices used to prevent pregnancy, as not all people are willing to be pregnant without their consent. Family planning is the one word given to the provision of birth control. Different people use different ways and methods of birth control, depending on various factors that are convenient for them. One should use a fertility control method that should work for her without affecting their health. It is therefore advisable on the proper selection of these methods. To find the best fit for you, one should answer questions such as whether how much money it costs and if one can afford it, how well the method work dropouts as no birth control works 100% of the time. Consultation is also crucial in finding your best fit method to avoid any complications whatsoever.

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Differences Between Ancient and Modern Methods of Birth Control

In the ancient days, birth control methods existed as much as they exist today. Abortion was one of the methods used as it had no stigma issues as there are present. Different countries and cities used different birth control methods. In Mesopotamia, for example, there were stones used that were round and were put inside the vagina to prevent women from giving birth (Bailey). Acacia leaves and honey were also typical as they were also put deep in a woman's vagina to block the way for sperms. Women also applied gummy substances to cover the cervix. In Greece, some plants grew in small areas that were used as oral contraceptives. There were plants such as rue, date palm, willow to mention but a few that were used for birth control purposes in ancient Greece. Today birth control methods have been modernized to do an even better job in preventing pregnancy. Oral contraceptives are among the many methods used today. It involves a woman taking pills each day of a month where they control the menstrual flow of a lady. Depo-Provera that, for example, in the form of a shot that gives protection for over three months (Bailey).

Another modern method of birth control is the use of a contraceptive ring that involves a soft ring that fits deep in the vagina of a woman. This ring produces hormones that prevent the ovaries of a woman from producing eggs. This can stay functional in a woman for approximately three weeks. The use of the intrauterine device serves a lengthier purpose. It involves a small device made of plastic; others contain copper that is in the uterus of a woman. This device prevents fertilization of a woman's egg by the sperm. This method can last for years, and others go for over four years and more. Sterilization, use of a male condom, and even female condom are among others to mention but a few.

How Birth Control Has Changed the World

Birth control has brought helped in having sex freely without fear or stress of pregnancy issues. Everyone, including girls and boys, men and women, and even parents, have the freedom to engage in sexual activities to quench their thirst without worrying about having children. The use of condoms both male and female ones is widely used in the world. Campus boys and unmarried youths are highly advised to use condoms to avoid early pregnancies (Bailey). Married couples prefer using long term methods such as using pills for family planning. There is also an almost permanent method of birth control that is sterilization. There is almost no guarantee that this method of birth control can be reversed. Sex workers who are frequently involved in sexual activities do not have to worry about giving birth as they go for the different convenient birth control methods. Men also use vasectomy for them to obtain sexual freedom. This method involves cutting the vas deferens, which is a tube carrying sperm in the body of a man, and it is very safe as it does not affect the sexual functioning of men. Birth control has made ease of human sexual interactions, making them enjoyable as people engage in these activities with no worries whatsoever.

Birth control has also changed the world as apart from helping women not become pregnant; it also helps regulate their periods each month. The use of birth control pills allows the endometrial lining to be shed almost after every four weeks making menstrual period regular. This helps reduce the risk of women having endometrial cancer. Menstrual cramps are decreased by the use of birth pills, which is a prevalent method of birth control. Birth control pills help in the treatment of acne and also polycystic ovary syndrome (Frost 162). Women with acne that are not responding to other simple measures are usually advised to take birth control pills. The use of these pills can also reduce ovarian cancer and also uterus cancer. The risk of anemia is lowered by the use of these birth control pills. Another health benefit of the use of birth control pills is that it helps even out hormones. Girls whose monthly menstrual periods are irregular can be helped by the use of these pills that work by reducing hormone levels to normal levels that will also enhance hair growth improvement.

Birth control pills also save and protect the lives of unborn children by taking care of that all together before conception occurs. Abortion, which is a crime, is performed by numerous teenagers all over the world. Over 25 million abortions that are not safe occur every year. Death can be a result of abortion; future pregnancy complications can also be caused by this. Some unsuccessful abortions may lead to further treatments, which are costly. The birth control pills prevent all this from happening and also reduce the number of abortion clinics. Teen pregnancies that destroy the lives of teenagers, making them young mothers and fathers, are common in society. Since it is almost impossible for the teenagers to abstain from sex, birth control measures such as the use of the pills are necessary. These pregnancies also lead to dropouts and for the new male responsibilities as most of the boys who impregnate the young girls come from poor homes.

Parents who cannot afford to take care of their children may not want them, babies being born into foster care and homes, where they are unwanted or even worse, have parents with mental health issues. Prevention is better than cure, and so the use of these birth control pills is a primary preventive measure to all the problems above. Unwanted babies are standard in today's world as children are being born from all kinds of unideal situations. Others are born and taken to orphanages resulting in children being born and raised away from parental love and care. Children grow in conditions that are not convenient for them resulting in these situations affecting them as they grow to make them unhappy in most of their lives. There are cases also where women give birth to children and kill it immediately due to mental issues from repeated episodes of stress. So many unfortunate situations can be as a result of these sexual interactions that are difficult to avoid. Some men can go to the extent of rape, raping young women, others even go to the extent of raping mad women roaming in the society.

All these unethical behavior are performed without the use of any birth control methods resulting in mad women becoming pregnant. Why not use condoms when doing this dirty work, which is not recommended at first. Birth control methods, when used, prevent us from plenty of unhealthy situations (Brinton 339). Education systems should be put forward in all societies encouraging people to use these birth control methods. Others may view such education as encouraging people to engage in sexual interactions, which they see us evil, but realistically we all know that it is challenging to keep off from sexual activities. So people should do it in a proper way to avoid complications. The use of other methods of birth control can serve purposes more than only controlling births.

An example is the use of both male and female condoms that, apart from birth control, also help prevent diseases such as HIV and other many sexually transmitted diseases. People should be pregnant only when they are ready to withstand what comes with pregnancy - children born with parents who were ready for them to get 100% care and support from them (Hock).

Birth control has also expanded opportunities for women in economic advancement, educational attainment, and also health outcomes. Birth control is among the top economic driver for women in most societies today. It also advances women's educational opportunities. Girls can get the birth control pill before they reach their 20s. This enables women who are in college to remain there. Today, women's awareness of the use of birth control pills and other methods of birth control had resulted in increasing in women who are learned in our societies compared to a time when men were the only ones educated. Girls were married off at an early age, others impregnated before just after high school meaning that there was less room for women to be educated. Birth control methods have brought out a revolution among women giving them a chance or rather an opportunity to seek education further and further. Women can obtain advanced professional degrees today if they want to and obtain skills equal to men.

Women are primary breadwinners today in more than 40% of households with children. Firms owned by women are the fastest growing today, proving that women have the time and chance to educate themselves as birth control methods have allowed them to plan their families that is give birth when they want to and also determine the number of children they would like to have in their families. All the same women and girls should be careful when using these birth control methods like birth control pills. They are safe, but some ladies may decide to use the combination pill that can increase the risk of health problems. All in all, birth control is a must for not only women but all humans, as giving birth should always remain a blessing.

Works Cited

Bailey, Martha J. Fifty years of family planning: new evidence on the long-run effects of increasing access to contraception. No. w19493. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2013. < https://www.nber.org/papers/w19493>

Bailey, Martha J., Olga Malkova, and Johannes Norling. "Do family planning programs decrease poverty? Evidence from public census data." CESifo economic studies 60.2 (2014): 312-337. < https://academic.oup.com/cesifo/article-abstract/60/2/312/284448>

Brinton, Louise A., et al. "Longterm use of oral contraceptives and risk of invasive cervical cancer." International journal of cancer 38.3 (1986): 339-344. < https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ijc.2910380307>

Frost, Jennifer J., Mia R. Zolna, and Lori Frohwirth. "Contraceptive needs and services, 2010." (2013): 162-175. < https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/win/contraceptive-needs-2010.pdf>

Hock, Heinrich. "The pill and the college attainment of American women and men." Available at SSRN 1023042 (2007). <http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.594.6229&rep=rep1&type=pdf>