It is widely acknowledged that the advent of birth control measures has provided opportunities to women to control their body function in terms of pregnancy and childbirth. But there is a debate doing the rounds whether social, economic and cultural impacts of birth control measures have been as important as the advent and impact of vaccines and antibiotics? I believe that impact of birth control measures on the cultural, social, and economic aspects of the society has been as important as that of vaccines and antibiotics.
Contraceptives have been in use, in some form or the other since time immemorial. The earliest known form of contraceptive has been pessary- a tiny soluble block inserted inside the vagina. The use of contraceptives was discouraged after the fall of the Roman Empire, but the incidence of sexually transmitted disease called syphilis during renaissance brought back a contraceptive that resembled the modern day condom. By the mid of the nineteenth century, the use of the condom was widespread. However, condoms being male operated came in for sharp criticism from feminist groups as males were lax and negligent in the use of condoms due to these preventing males from experiencing real sensations.
According to Sterling & Sadler, the use of pills gained popularity immediately, and more than 28% of women using contraceptives used pills in the U.S. It shows the determination of women to control their bodies. Women are no longer child bearing machines, and they can pursue academic and professional career. They are independent to plan when to have a child. Their activities are no more dictated by biology, and the use of contraceptives has provided much more civil rights to women
The Impact
The social fabric has gone a sea change with the prevalence of birth control measures. Women apart from pursuing higher studies are now increasingly being employed in managerial positions and formed a sizable number of work forces in the whole world, especially in the United States. Birth control has helped control population growth that has in turn transformed the lot of millions of people all over the world.
As per published reports, more than 88% European women have used some birth control measure. The percentage of Romanian women using contraceptives has been the least at 67.4% while the highest being 96.7% in case of women of Sweden. 70.4% of all European women use oral contraceptives, 63.2% prefer condoms, 25.5% withdrawal method, and 16.3% intra uterine devices. While 54.3% women of Germany, 50.5% of France, 34.6% of Sweden liked oral contraceptives, only 29.6% and 21.6% liked use of condoms. Despite the fact that fertility is the result of the interaction of both men and women, it is still considered the sole responsibility of women. That is why; most of the efforts of birth control have been directed towards women.
Impact of Contraceptives on Economic & Cultural Conditions of Women
Controlling the size of the family is the key to the economic prosperity, and the only way to achieve it is by the use of birth control measures. The leaders of women’s rights and civil rights during 1960s averred that contraception was a significant tool for women’s emancipation and social justice. Contraception helped women free from the shackles of constant pregnancy, and make a mark in the world firmament by breaking their dependence on men. It brought economic prosperity to women and their families. It was not the advent of pills in 1960s that made all these impacts, but its availability and that too on affordable prices was the crux of the matter.
In conclusion, the impact of the advent of vaccines and antibiotics has been epoch-making. These two discoveries altered the destiny of humanity in the sense that these not only made all aspects of human life comfortable and enjoyable, but also prevented pre-mature deaths. While vaccines provided immunity from dangerous infectious diseases, antibiotics improved immunity of the body by developing antibodies. The impact of vaccines and antibodies has been immense on humanity. However, the impact of birth control measures has been equally important and impressive.
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