Oral Contraceptive Method Of Birth Control example essay topic

The purpose of the oral contraceptive, also called the birth control pill, is to do just that: control birth. While "on the Pill", women have the freedom to decide when to have children and how many. Previous to the approval of the Pill by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1960, other methods of birth control were used, such as the condom, the diaphragm, and the "rhythm" method. These practices were not completely reliable, and women who were using these methods were still having many children without the intent to do so. The birth control pill changed all that, preventing unwanted pregnancies and regulating the fertility of the women that used it. The oral contraceptive's effects were deeper than just regarding family size.

The Pill allowed women to have a sexual freedom that they had never before experienced, and to choose their own path educationally and professionally. The Pill gave women a feeling of rational self interest, something that was fundamental in the feminist and pro-choice movements in America. In the 1920's, a feminist movement emerged. For decades, women had fought for the right to vote, and it was finally granted in 1920.

This new found freedom encouraged women to speak out about their rights and beliefs. Margaret Sanger was one of those women, and she challenged the conservative traditions of American society with her views on birth control. She witnessed her mother die at an early age after birthing eleven children, and Sanger believed that it was for this reason that she died. She began to produce pamphlets of information about birth control, and published her views in several magazines, such as The Woman Citizen. In 1914, Sanger challenged the Comstock Law of 1873, which decreed to be an "Act for the Suppression of Trade In, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles for Immoral Use". The act especially targeted contraceptive materials and information.

Finally in 1936 the law was revised to exclude birth control information. Sanger was especially interested in an oral contraceptive method of birth control, however it had not yet been invented. In 1951, she worked to get funding for a Dr. John Rock, a gynecologist who was also interested in the Pill. He developed a way to produce a synthetic form of progesterone, which, when used, would "trick" the user's body into thinking it was pregnant and therefore unable to conceive. It was not until 1960 that the oral contraceptive was officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Millions of women, however, were already on it.

The idea of contraception is a rather liberal one, and it was ill-received by many of the more conservative institutions, namely the Catholic Church. The Catholic religion advertises the use of the "rhythm" method, in which the woman only has sexual activity when her menstrual cycle makes her infertile. This method was very difficult for many women, and often it still resulted in pregnancy. The invention of the oral contraceptive was looked down upon by many Catholics, because they believed it works against God and therefore is unnatural. Although the Church was against the use of the oral contraceptive, a 1967 survey showed that 53% of Catholic couples were using the Pill. Many Catholic doctors would prescribe the Pill, even though it was against their religion's doctrine.

The Catholic religion's old-fashioned conservatism came under scrutiny, and the lack of power the religion had over society was revealed. Despite this opposition, the Pill became extremely popular. One effect of the advent of the Pill was in familial structure. For those taking the pill, unexpected pregnancies were a thing of the past, and women could choose when to have children as well as how many.

Families burdened with many children were often impoverished from having to provide for the entire family. The working class family could attempt to pull itself out of poverty through the use of the Pill. Also, pregnancies were no longer dreaded mistakes, but planned and welcome joys. Margaret Sanger proclaimed, "The first right of every child is to be wanted... ". It was her dream that the Pill would end the sad reality that often, children are born unwelcome and unexpected.

Such pregnancies still occur today, but in much fewer numbers than before the birth control pill and other effective forms of birth control came into widespread use. Women's lives would never be the same after the invention of the Pill. For the first time, women were in control of their own destiny. Sexually, women were set free. They no longer needed cooperation from their partner to make a contraceptive decision, the decision was all their own.

Suddenly, women had the same rights that men had when it came to sexual activity, and the fear of pregnancy was not something that was holding them back. Women took hold of their sexuality, and a sexual revolution occurred in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The idea of "free love" and sexual experimentation was common, especially among the enormous younger generation. This aspect of birth control is often looked down upon, as promiscuity and sexual objectification of women was no longer taboo. Others believe women on the Pill were simply taking advantage of the new freedom that they had suddenly obtained, a freedom that men had always had. Now that women could plan their pregnancies, they had control of their lives.

This control most directly affected women's employment and educational opportunities. Women could decide if they would rather establish a career or a family, and then build their lives accordingly. Women no longer could be denied jobs on the premise that an unexpected pregnancy would inhibit their ability to hold the position. Women could pursue higher education and professional goals without being held back by pregnancy.

In 1960, only 37% of women of the "reproductive age" were employed. Today, the "reproductive age" has nothing to do with it. The Pill gave women control over their lives. They could exercise sexual freedoms, plan a family, and pursue their highest professional goals.

Women had power that they had never experienced before. The advent of the Pill spurred another women's rights movement in the 1960's and 1970's. President John F. Kennedy established the first national Commission on the Status of Women in 1961. In 1963, the commission issued a report about employment discrimination, unequal pay, legal inequality, and insufficient support services for working women. The 1964 Civil Rights Act barred employment discrimination based on sex, as well as race, color, or ethnic origin. The gender clause of this act was added on as a means to keep the legislation from passing, because its opponents believed that equal rights for women as well as blacks would never be accepted by Congress.

To the triumph of feminists, the act was passed nonetheless. Women had the Pill-they had the power. The Pill's granting of control for women in their lives was indispensable, and women realized that they needed to make some changes. Today, complete equality between males and females is not exactly a reality. However, women have come a long way, and they enjoy almost the same rights as men. With the oral contraceptive, families are planned and welcome.

Women are free from the burden of unwanted pregnancy. They can express their sexuality without fear of conception. They can pursue their goals without having to take a few years off to be a mother. The role of women in society has transformed completely with the invention of the oral contraceptive.

Woman of Valor: Margaret Sanger and the Birth Control Movement by Ellen Chester Margaret Sanger: A Biography of the Champion of Birth Control by Madeline Gray The Pill: A Biography of the Drug that Changed the World by Bernard As bell On the Pill: A Social History of Oral Contraceptives by Elizabeth Watkins This Man's Pill: Reflections on the 50th Birthday of the Pill by Carl Djerassi.