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 swimmers. The risks of consuming these toxic pills outweigh the benefits; women must become aware of the effects birth control is having on their bodies and find alternatives to pharmaceutical contraceptives.
In 1960, birth control was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for contraceptive use (Nikolchev). Since then, birth control pills have had a tremendous impact in the American culture. Women were now able to prevent unplanned pregnancy without the consent of their partners and eliminating the use of condoms and other dual consent birth control methods. Birth control pills contain two important hormones: estrogen and progesterone. Natural estrogen is a hormone that is produced in the ovaries and helps regulate the menstrual cycle (Rettner). According to Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Steven Goldstein, “progesterone is a hormone that stimulates and regulates important functions, playing a role in maintaining pregnancy, preparing the body for conception and regulating the menstrua...
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Hergenrader, Jamie. "The Dangerous Side of Birth Control." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 31 July 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
High Blood Pressure and Women." American Heart Association. The American Heart Association, 05 Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Nikolchev, Alexandra. "A Brief History of the Birth Control Pill." PBS. PBS, 07 May 2010. Web. 14 Mar. 2014
"Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk." Cancer.gov. National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health, 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014
Rettner, Rachael. "What Is Estrogen?" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 20 July 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
"Sexual Health, Birth Control And Condoms." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
"What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism?" National Heart, Lung, and Blood
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Since 1912 Sanger had dreamed of a pill that would provide cheap, safe, and effective contraception. In 1951 Margaret Sanger met Dr. Gregory Pincus, a biologist whose expertise was in the field of fertility. Planned Parenthood Federation of America provided a grant to research the effect of progesterone on ovulation. Dr. Pincus’ research supported earlier findings that progesterone acts as an inhibitor to ovulation. With these findings, Margaret Sanger was able to convince Katherine McCormick, a wealthy heiress, to provide the funding for Dr. Gregory Pincus to develop the first birth control
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...
Subsequently, the provided documents on the birth control movement did show the push and pull factors of the complicated and multifaceted debate. Americas push towards industrial growth, and technology demanded that the subsequent progressive reforms were needed for a society ushering in a new era. At the same time, fear and reluctance to abandon tradition and religious custom acted as the pulling factor. The birth control debate was a complicated and heavily charged debate teemed in religious, social, political, and racial rhetoric. Historical documents help shed new light on the things taken for granted today, even the most seemingly innocuous things like birth control were fought for, so that men and women today could be in charge of their own destinies.
Samuel A. Pasquale, M.D., and Jennifer Cadoff, The Birth Control Book: A Complete Guide to Your Contraceptive Options, New York: Ballantine Books, 1996
Crystal, E. (1918). Birth Control in the Feminism Program. In E. C. DuBois & L. Dumenil, Through Women’s Eyes: An American History with Documents (p. 509). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Is it time to bring OCs over the counter?. (2010). Contraceptive Technology Update, 31(7), 77-
Weimar, Carrie. "Women taking birth control pills for reasons other than contraception." UF Health Podcasts. UF Health Communications, 1 February 2012. Web. 8 Dec 2013.
The most popular form of birth control is the pill. The reason for this is that it is said to be very effective against pregnancy if used correctly, it makes menstrual periods more regular and lighter, they decrease menstrual cramps and acne, makes you less likely to get ovarian and uterine cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts, and anemia, and last but not least, it doesn’t interrupt love making. Those are the good things about the pill. There are also a list of negative things: the pill doesn’t protect against S...
Now a days there are several different methods of birth control. The first that I am going to talk about is called the rhythm method. As its synonym implies, this method is based on the assumption that, for each women, there is a rhythmic pattern of menstruation and ovulation that can be identified by keeping a careful record of the dates of menstruation. A second assumption is that
Little did Sanger know that this pill would revolutionize female sexuality. What began as a way to simply allow women to have some control over
From the time birth control was first introduced in the late 20th century, many different responses have stemmed from the public. Most popularly known for its names such as ‘Plan B’ or simply just ‘birth control pills’, these and multiple other options provided in today’s society. This medicine is most used to regulate women’s reproduction, and also, to help with various women’s health problems. Controversy, however, looms over this topic as this medicine can also prevent pregnancy if used within a time boundary after intercourse. Many people believe that life does begin at conception, and using such methods to prevent a pregnancy may be considered to be murder. Although, many potential problems can stem from an unplanned pregnancy. Many women may not be mentally or even physically ready to become a mother at that certain time. Even though birth control may have moral downfalls in some
Throughout her book, May makes it perspicuous the birth control pill provided liberation and prosperity to women. She effectively supports her claim, by incorporating numerous personal testimonies and viewpoints from women. May tells the story of Letty C who found the pill to be “incredibly liberating” when she studied abroad (156). The usage of antidotes benefited May’s ability to emphasize specifically how women’s everyday lives have changed and the many stories reflect the monumental way that the pill has become ingrained in people’s lives.
“The best form of birth control is an aspirin grasp firmly between the [female] knees,” states a 1950’s old wives’ tale, the truth to the matter is birth control has not changed much since then. The female contraceptive began marketing in the 1960’s (Sohn 1). That means the pill, as it is commonly known, just celebrated its fiftieth birthday. Birth control is anything that prevents the ovum, commonly known as the egg, from meeting up with sperm cells (Planned Parenthood 2). Female hormonal pills, or patches, use levels of chemical synthesized hormones to trick the body into thinking it is carrying a baby (Planned Parenthood 3). This is used and a method of pregnancy prevention and hormone management in women. These hormones are used to get young ladies to start menstruation and fight off early signs of menopause, or the absences of menstruation for a whole year (Planned Parenthood 1). Male forms of birth control have dated back to the 1800’s; making those even changing less than female forms (Planned Parenthood 3). With years to prefect and master female birth control is still not the safest or most practical option, and with male forms being held back, birth control is still viewed as a woman’s job; however, when sex and pregnancy prevention effect both parties they both should be offered equal options to prepare and protect themselves.
Birth control has been a controversial topic from the beginning of time till now. Some of the world stands against the use of birth control methods and medications all together while others think it is one of the greatest things ever invented. Some families, groups, religions, and other countries define birth control as abstinence or not having sex until marriage. Birth control’s other leading definition is using medication to prevent pregnancy. Different methods of birth control are as simple as the withdrawal or pulling out before ejaculation method. Others are more complicated like the Nuvaring, vaginal ring, or Mirena which are placed inside the vagina. There are various types of birth control options on the market today, but one of the oldest and most reliable, used by women every day, is oral contraceptives or birth control pills. Oral contraceptives have been developed to help prevent pregnancy along with combating other things such as cramps, bloating, and some even help with acne and mood swings. Due to the various ways birth control pills can help women they have become extremely popular. Amongst the different types of birth control pills Yaz has arisen in the last ten years as one of the most popular on the market. However, just because it is popular does that make it safe to use? Negative reports have surfaced about what Yaz is made of, lawsuits, deaths, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) involvement with the Bayer Company the makers of Yaz.
The most commonly used methods of birth control are the condom and the pills. The pill is taken once a day and a pack should be completed every month. Combination pills contain estrogen and progestin. Others are progestin-only. Pills contain hormones that work in different ways. The condoms are a sheath made of thin latex or plastic to cover the penis before intercourse to keep sperm from joining egg. No matter how old one is , it is very important to use condoms with another method of birth.