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Birth control argument essay abstract
A complete essay on the pros and cons of contraception in general
Birth control argument essay abstract
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Contraception is the deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by various drugs, techniques, or devices – also more famously known as birth control. This research paper will examine the views of both the Catholic Church and the view that opposes the Catholic Church on this practice. Each view will be examined thoroughly with the reasoning behind each unique view.
The Catholic Church’s view on contraception is simple. They believe that any act of sex must be both unitive and procreative Birth control, by any means or techniques will halt the procreative process and over time diminish the unity created by sex (Catechism). During the 1960s there was a major boom in contraceptives; The Pill had just been created. It is at this point that contraceptives became a major issue within the Catholic Church. In 1968 Pope Paul VI wrote an encyclical titled the “Humanae Vitae” which translates from Latin to kindness of life. In this encyclical he detailed this theory on contraception: “The reason is that the fundamental nature of the marriage act, while uniting husband and wife in the closest intimacy, also renders them capable of generating new life—and this as a result of laws written into the actual nature of man and of woman” (Paul VI). Within the Humanae Vitae Pope Paul VI predicted several things happening if contraceptives became widely available and used within society. These predictions included a general lowering of moral standards, a general disregard for physical and physiological well being of females by males, governments using contraceptives for coercive purposes, and the treating of our bodies like those of a machine or as objects. (Smith, 1994)(Paul VI)
In 1994 pope John Paul II attempted to further clarify the c...
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The pro-life stance on abortion is often associated with and defended by traditional Christian beliefs , ; however, this paper will argue that it can and should be defended with secular arguments that appeal to reason and our shared human condition. This paper will try and counter the notion that the argument is simply another battlefield where religion and secular thought meet. Rather, it is an important issue that carries with it heavy implications not only for the religious but also for the secular. The major arguments discussed include the emotional and physical toll on the mother, the societal toll of having abortion legalized, and the rights attributed to every human being; first, however, the stance taken in this paper will be further defined and clarified.
Dr. Aletta Jacobs was the only physician to explicitly support the use of birth control by women based on personal choice not simply medical need like Dr. John Williams. Dr. R.C. Brannon and Dr. Howard A. Kelly both felt the only legitimate way to prevent pregnancy was abstinence, reasons for this argument ranged from an inherent moral obligation to maintaining mental health. The Harpers Weekly interviews show how multifaceted the issue of birth control was, how it offended people on a moral and social level. It would have been more beneficial had the document been more ethnically diverse with more women weighing in.
When legally introduced to society in 1960, the Pill stirred up a long period of controversy. The availability of the Pill had great impact on women’s health, social life, laws, religion, family, relationships, morality and sexuality. Initially conceived to be highly effective and safe, the Pill left many women with side effects – few which led to several fatalities. Before the Pill was created, many women postponed sex due to the social norm and fear of becoming pregnant before marriage. Families grew large and it was typical for a woman to have multiple children caused by the lack of birth control. Due to regulations, such as the Comstock laws, many people supported the prohibition of the Pill and other family planning practices. However, many women believed in the right to control their own body when it came to procreation. Despite the controversies, the Pill left lasting impacts, such as by opening society to the sexual revolution and...
Since the sixteenth century, one of the most important roles of mothers, or women in general, was to have children. Although most women accepted this role and believed it was their duty to have children, not every woman was pleased with this seemingly confining role. Within the confines of this role there were also many misconceptions. At the time, most people believed that although male involvement was necessary for the conception of children, women controlled many aspects of the child, including the sex of the child. While it was a common belief that women controlled certain aspects of pregnancy, women really had no control over when and if they got pregnant. Prior to the eighteenth century there was really no indication of widespread use of birth control methods. Without reliable birth control, women would often become a mother within their first year of marriage and continue to have children every couple of years until menopause. Although women during this time period experienced high birth rates, they often did not end up raising nearly as many children as they gave birth to, since the infant mortality rate and death rate were very high. With such a high death rate, birth control was not as necessary as it would be in a more modern...
During the whole of the 21st century, the subject of birth control has become a trending topic throughout various news reports. The debate on whether or not birth control should be required and distributed by all health plans has caused much controversy throughout the population. However, there was a time in our history when contraceptives, much less birth control, was available for the public. It was through the perseverance and determination of Margaret Sanger to make birth control legal for all women that it is accessible worldwide today. She was the leader of the birth control movement, which was conceived during the Progressive era of United States history.
Sonfield, Adam. "Sex Education Remains Active Battleground." Contraceptive Technology Update 1 Mar. 2012. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.
The topic of birth control in public schools has attracted much support from the American public from surveyed statistics. For example, a 2006 Associated Press-Ipsos survey discovered that 67% of Americans support the provision of contraceptives to students. This study also determined that, “About as many - 62 percent - said they believe providing birth control reduces the number of teenage pregnancies” (Associated Press). Such a huge percentage suggests that Americans are very concerned about the increasing cases of teen pregnancies and would eagerly adopt any method that has a possibility of reducing this problem. In addition, the subjects in the poll indicated that they believe that contraception usage in schools has the potential of reducing teenage pregnancies. Many American people support the view points, that schools should offer contraceptives to students in schools. This can really help minimize...
In this mind baffling speech by Margaret Sanger, she explains the importance of attaining birth control as a female. She believes that “birth control should be available to every adult man and woman” (The Morality of Birth Control). In her opinion, every person over 18 should at least obtain knowledge of it, and try to practice it as much as possible. “Not only will birth control reduce the rate of disease and famine, it will also help heighten the standards of civilization towards teen pregnancy and child abortion” (Population Growth and Resource Depletion). Only then will people attain real morality.
"Regulatory Information." Federal Food and Drugs Act of 1906. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 20 May 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .
Sanger, Margaret. "The Morality of Birth Control." Gifts of Speech. Smith College, 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
Robert Creamer. "Protecting Access to Birth Control Does Not Violate Religious Freedom." Current Controversies: Politics and Religion. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Lee’s Summit High School. 31 Oct. 2013
The female birth control pill became available to the public in 1961. During that time period the acceptance of women sexuality was becoming more common; however, critics felt that the pill promoted unnecessary female sexual behavior. The fact that a woman could partake in casual sex without worrying about becoming pregnant was an issue amongst many people in society. Although premarital sex was not completely shunned as it was a couple decades previous to that time, many still felt as if a woman should not enjoy multiple sexual relationships. Women were expected to only act or feel sexually toward one man who she was in a serious relationship with. With that being said, the grounds for accepting the use of female contraceptive...
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “CFR -- Code of Federal Regulations Title 21” (21CFR101.9). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Wurth, Margaret H, et al., “Condoms as Evidence of Prostitution in the United States and the Criminalization of Sex Work.” Journal of the International AIDS Society. 16.1 (2013): 1 - 3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Oct. 2015.
Osmundson, Joseph. "'I Was Born This Way': Is Sexuality Innate, and Should It Matter?" Harvard Kennedy School. N.p., 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .