Birth Control in America

Birth Control in America

by: Bre-Ann Werner

Dating back throughout history people found many different ways and reasons to have sexual intercourse, most of the time having a child was not one of them. From Native Americans to Colonial Americans, women in this era of time found multiple insane ways to stop their reproductive tract. The Native American women began to prevent their chances of getting pregnant through a more natural way than the women of any other time. The Native American women would ingest the chemical from a Lithospermum plant as well as have their men rely on an intake of papaya seeds to cut their sperm count[1]. These methods were not the most effective, but they had to be considerably safer and less strange than what the women in a later era of time did. Centuries ago Chinese women would often drink large amounts of lead and mercury in hopes of preventing pregnancy. Instead, what these women did by ingesting such dangerous chemicals was cause themselves to be sterile, or even get so sick to the point of death[2]. Moving up in time before the Victorian Era, the methods of contraception were a lot more effective than what the Native American or Chinese believed in. The men and women that were active in performing sexual intercourse needed something safer and more reliable when it comes to preventing children. So, during this time period women used contraceptive devices such as a sponge, lemon wedge, or a cervical cap. If the men were wealthy enough they were able to afford condoms made of pig intestine[3]. Aside from the physical contraceptive devices that were used, other methods to prevent pregnancy were to delay marriage, prolong nursing, Coitus Interruptus; also known as “the pull out” method, bloodletting, laxatives, and even as horrible as infanticide[4]. Whether or not these methods of “birth control” were successful, I think that the majority of them were completely irresponsible and dangerous. If I was around during that time I would most definitely take the safest way out and remain pure until I knew I wanted to have children. The risks that come along with these methods of birth control are not worth risking your own life just to prevent pregnancy.

The forms of birth control that were used by Americans hundreds and hundreds of years ago have come a long way since then. The different beliefs about contraception and birth control got lost in translation as the methods continuously changed from one era of time to another. As America continued to grow and expand its ways of living, every aspect needed an adjustment, including the approach to prevent pregnancy. Looking back in time from the birth control methods that we hold today, some may find it hard to believe that anyone from the Native Americans up until now had a healthy and effective life after actively using their techniques of birth control. I am so glad to say that these birth control techniques are long gone. After years of industrialization and improvement in America, it is okay to say that we now have an endless amount of safe and effective forms of birth control. The birth control that is available to women in America today is a wide range of many different things. Starting with the basic daily pill. The birth control pill is made by many different brands and companies; each pill has their own side effects that may or may not affect the individual taking it. You just have to ask yourself; is it worth taking knowing I could have side effects? Many women of this day and age believe that the pill is worth it; it does wonders. The basic birth control pill prevents pregnancy many different ways, mainly stopping ovulation for the woman[5]. Most birth control pills contain synthetic forms of two female hormones: estrogen and progestin. “The synthetic estrogen in the pill works to stop the pituitary gland from producing follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in order to prevent ovulation. As well as, support the uterine lining to prevent breakthrough bleeding mid-cycle. While, the synthetic progestin works to stop the pituitary gland from producing LH in order to prevent egg release, and make the uterine lining inhospitable to a fertilized egg, which would also limit the sperms ability to fertilize the egg”[6].The current techniques of birth control all have the same goal; to stop ovulation and prevent pregnancy. For those who do not want to rely on themselves to take a pill every morning, there are other options available to them. For example, there is a patch that women can wear for a certain period of time, get a shot, get a cervical cap put in, or they can personally insert a “Nuva Ring.” All of the current available birth control methods are known to be so much safer and reliable than what was available to women back then. Even though some types of birth control have side effects, the overall risk of using these methods are safer and more beneficial to the woman’s body.

The transformation that America went through has been astounding in every aspect. America has now made it safe for women to stop their reproductive tract with many forms of birth control. We all know that anything can happen when you take any type of birth control, even in this day and age. It is up to you as the woman to decide if it is worth taking this risk. In my own personal experience, I have never had any side effects with birth control and think that it is totally worth trying. However, if you are unsure about what to do in this situation you can always take the smartest and safest way out; which is to remain pure until marriage, and/or have sexual intercourse with a condom as your main source of contraceptive. It is up to you as the individual to make the decision you are most comfortable with.

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[1] Moore, Crystal. "Native American Sexuality Sexual Violation in the Conquest of the Americas." Cameron Lecture Hall 2014. Cameron, Charlotte. Date Accessed 15 Feb. 2014. Lecture.

[2] Dexter, Katharine. "A History of Birth Control Methods." A History of Birth Control Methods (2006): 1-16. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. Katharine Dexter McCormick Library, Nov. 2006. Web. Date Accessed 27 Feb. 2014.

[3] Moore, Crystal. "Sex in Colonial America." Cameron Lecture Hall 2014. Cameron, Charlotte. Date Accessed 17 Feb. 2014. Lecture.

[4] Moore, Crystal. "Sex in Colonial America." Cameron Lecture Hall 2014. Cameron, Charlotte. Date Accessed 17 Feb. 2014. Lecture.

[5] Alice , GoAskAlice, "How Do Birth Control Pills Work." Last modified April 13, 2012. Date Accessed February 27, 2014. http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/how-do-birth-control-pills-work.

[6] Alice , GoAskAlice, "How Do Birth Control Pills Work." Last modified April 13, 2012. Date Accessed February 27, 2014. http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/how-do-birth-control-pills-work.