Introduction
The reproductive aspect is a vital segment of personal autonomy and health preservation to ensure the quality of life. Controversy around birth control arises in different social, religious, and cultural contexts. For sure, the application of birth control techniques provides practical benefits as a tool of personal freedom and preventive health control. Yet, they are criticized and end up with physical and ethical implications.
Thesis Statement: However, using birth control can mean potential risks and moral debate, but it gives people control over their reproduction and also helps to prevent various health problems. Hence, it is the best choice if properly done, all in line with personal health needs and a doctor’s involvement.
Background
Birth control, which can also be referred to as contraception, is the method applied to prevent fertilization following sexual intercourse. Contraception historically has a clear pattern in which marked practices have been known since antiquity. Initially, the treatment relied on herbs, mechanical obstacles, or prolonged breastfeeding (Beamon, np). Women’s contraception only started to develop a lot after the appearance of the latex condom in 1920. The birth control pill was invented in 1960 and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration first.
The appearance of the birth control pill, which is frequently just referred to as “the pill”, was a turning point in reproductive health and led to the transformation of social views on what women can do and have control over. It considerably increased women’s control over their fertility, thus the growth of numerous social phenomena, e.g. the women’s liberation movement. Currently, the contraceptive methods now encompass hormonal pills, patches, and injections, as well as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and surgical options such as vasectomy and tubal ligation.
The use of contraception is extensive nowadays. Statistically, about 65% of women in the US between 15 and 49 years old resorted to some contraception based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The pill still is one of the most prevalent ways of birth control, followed by sterilization and IUDs. Every method works by utilizing different mechanisms, arising from accessing sperms to changing the endometrial lining to suppressing ovulation.
Despite the advantages of the use of contraception, there is still much controversy and disadvantages associated with it. Some people are constantly communicating their opinions and laws regarding the use of contraceptives, and ethical, cultural and religious aspects largely impact this. In addition, each has a shortcoming (McLaren, np). Although hormonal contraceptives are proven effective in terms of preventing pregnancies, side effects such as the increased probability of blood clots, stroke, or hormonal imbalance may arise. Non-hormonal methods, however, have no risks of these side effects; other considerations, like maintenance, readiness when needed, or lower effectiveness rates, come along with them.
The purchase of contraceptives shows that individuals are concerned about their sexual and reproductive health and realize the advantage of preventing pregnancy. Contraceptives are definitely indispensable for them in dealing with many health issues, namely PCOS, endometriosis, severe acne as well as heavy bleeding period. Besides, they are the executioners of making certain kinds of cancers, such as ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, less probable (Golden, p. 250).
From the perspective of individual reproductive health, it is of utmost importance to weigh these benefits against the possible risks. Determining what kind of contraceptive method you should use is an individual choice that requires you to take into account factors such as your health history, convenience, cost, side effects and personal beliefs (Marcén, p. 6).
The portrait of birth control is distinctive, as a roster of options is designed for various types of lifestyles and factories. The discussion will then widen with many studies conducted and changing norms of society, so personal health and autonomy will continue to be the core topic.
Critics of Birth Control
Proponents of birth control sometimes mention the health risks of using hormonal contraceptives, including the possibility of high blood clots, stroke, and breast cancer development. Non-hormonal methods also have some weak points: for instance, a considerable probability of IUD users facing pelvic inflammatory disease or perforation of the uterine wall is not ruled out.
Besides the health problems which directly affect girls, such as unwanted pregnancies, there are ethical and moral questions concerning the use of contraception. Many religious sects deny family planning since they think artificial methods of controlling fertility distort the rule of nature, where procreation is done the natural way (Bollmeier et al., p. 303). Still, others point out that it only encourages shamelessness and reaching zero restrictions towards sex, which is not a good thing at all since it disturbs traditional family values and sexual responsibility. Furthermore, we need to worry about the environmental damage coming from defunct contraceptive products and hormones which find themselves in the water sources is an issue.
Proponents of Birth Control
Proponents, on the other hand, stress that the positive side of birth control outweighs the only possible side effects. For a lot of people, pregnancy is independent of intention; for them, it’s important to use contraceptives to control the reproductive timing, which can help sustain personal and economic freedom (Han et al., p. 122716). Sexual education also plays a vital role in regulating cases of PCOS, endometriosis and severe dysmenorrhea, therefore making the lives of millions of people beautiful.
In addition to the contraceptive function, these hormonal interventions can also lower the chances of ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancers. They are equally responsible for decreasing the probability of children being disadvantaged because of unintended pregnancies (Nasri et al., p. 145272). Such disadvantages may translate then into poor health and socioeconomic outcomes for children.
When deciding whether oral contraception will be good or bad for individuals, they must take into consideration their own health needs, moral values, and lifestyle (Marcén, p. 8). Whether to use birth control, the individual should consider all of the advantages above and the disadvantages of pregnancy and contraception; in the meantime, healthcare professionals should be informed to prevent unexpected issues.
Solutions/Suggestions
- Focus on Education: There should be more sensitization about the methods available, as well as their benefits and risks. Users of any of the available methods should also be educated on the right procedures to ensure none of the methods is abused. Empowering individuals enables them to make informed decisions concerning their reproductive health.
- Research for Alternatives: With the great advances in technology, further research should be encouraged to explore non-hormonal birth control methods that are equally effective (McLaren). New methods can also be explored.
Conclusion
- The major side effects of hormonal birth control pose huge risks to its users.
- Future of Birth Control: Birth control is very important in family planning. With continued research and innovation, alternative methods can be explored, and the existing non-hormonal birth control options can be improved to make them more effective for use with minimal side effects.
Final Thought: In as much as hormonal birth control methods have detrimental side effects on health, women who choose to use them should seek advice from professional healthcare providers to enable them to make informed decisions about their options.
Works Cited
Beamon, Ashley. “How Does Birth Control Impact Overall User Wellness: A Mixed-Methodology Approach Surveying How Physical, Mental, and Social Wellness is Impacted by Use of Birth Control.” (2023).
Bollmeier, Suzanne G., et al. “Direct to consumer telemedicine: is healthcare from home best?.” Missouri Medicine 117.4 (2020): 303.
Golden, Neville H. “Bones and birth control in adolescent girls.” Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology 33.3 (2020): 249-254.
Han, Liqiao, et al. “Noninvasive detection of human dehydroepiandrosterone, progesterone and testosterone using LC-MS/MS revealed effects of birth control pills/devices and body weight on ovulatory prediction.” Journal of Chromatography B 1174 (2021): 122716.
Marcén, Miriam. “Gender, Time Allocation, and Birth Controls.” Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics (2020): 1-14.
McLaren, Angus. Birth control in nineteenth-century England. Routledge, 2022.
Nasri, Ahmed, et al. “Ethinylestradiol (EE2) residues from birth control pills impair nervous system development and swimming behavior of zebrafish larvae.” Science of the Total Environment 770 (2021): 145272.
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