Procreation is a fundamental aspect of every living organism. Animals procreate to maintain a balance in the ecosystem, produce new offspring, ensure the existence of a species, and pass down specific genes from parents to offspring. Despite the importance of procreating, the substantial rise in human populations worldwide has forced governments and scientists to develop measures to control the rate of procreation. The Vietnamese, Chinese, British, and Singaporean governments represent some of the few ruling bodies that have at one point in history placed a limit on the number of children families can have (O’Brien, 2018) . To enforce their child control measures, this government s encouraged their citizens to practice birth control. This paper looks to discuss the importance and implications that birth control brings to society.
People use birth control methods to prevent pregnancies. Birth control, also known as contraception, has been used by people for thousands of years. Yen (2019) states that birth control started as back as 1850 B.C in Mesopotamia. He also states that people from Egypt, Rome, and Greece used varying forms of birth control to prevent their women from getting pregnant. In the United States, birth control became popular in the mid-19 th century when religious and political organizations encouraged people to use birth control methods to reduce the fast-growing rise in pregnancies.
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Scientific, legal, and social progress in birth control has made it possible for people to access contraceptive methods easily. The modern person uses short-lasting hormonal methods such as vaginal rings, skin patches, and contraceptive injections (Anon, 2020) . The second method is barrier methods like condoms for both sexes, birth control sponges, and cervical caps. Another method is long-lasting hormonal methods like contraceptive implants. Sterilization and fertility awareness methods also fall under the numerous birth control methods the modern person can use.
Birth control has its share of reasons that make it relevant to society. Most of the personal reasons people present for using contraceptives revolve around their right to choose what is best for them. As such, people use contraceptives such as condoms, pills, or implants to control the number of children they want to have. Additionally, scientific studies have found some people use birth control methods to help them plan their futures while others use these methods for medical reasons. According to Stacey (2020), scientists have proven that hormonal contraceptives help regulate periods, lower the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, and reduce endometriosis-related pain.
Contraceptives are also relevant in society as they contribute to its solidity. Stability in society allows it to grow and develop positively, promotes cooperation among people, and allows it to be self-sustaining. Instability in a society can lead to a rise in pregnancies (Stacey, 2020) . A rise in pregnancies will directly constrain the available resources in society. Furthermore, more children in a given society can cause an increase in poverty. This rise can further result in an increase in societal crimes like drug consumption, and theft. Lastly, the lack of birth control measures can result in a rise of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
A social implication of birth control is contraceptives promote women's empowerment in society. Statistical evidence proves that women who use contraceptives have clear objectives and targets they aim to attain in life (Stacey, 2020) . Therefore, contraceptives such as cervical caps, implants, and condoms allow these women to control the consequences of their sexual activities. Additionally, contraceptives allow these women to prepare and plan their lives with confidence and ease. Lastly, birth control empowers women to finish their education, allowing them to positively contribute to society.
Many legal implications have surrounded the topic of birth control for a long time. These legal implications majorly revolve around the many measures and directives the government has placed on managing birth control. People have raised numerous legal issues that revolve around who, when and how individuals should use contraceptives. FindLaw staff (2018) explain that in the country, people have gone to court countless times in order to resolve issues on the use of contraceptives. An instance of a court case involving birth control was in 1972 when the Supreme Court ruled against a Massachusetts law that solely permitted married couples to use contraceptives. In their ruling, the judges stated that the law diminished the equal protection rights of single people. The Affordable Care Act (ACT) is a government jurisdiction that holds a section that discusses birth control. Under the measure, health insurance companies are obliged to cover certain ground-level medical services, medications, and procedures that can have a legal implication on birth control.
Birth control has its share of ethical implications. People have constantly raised ethical arguments that cycle around the available contraceptive method in the market. Others have argued on the various methods that doctors use to administer contraceptive procedures to their patients (Geary, 2019) . Individuals have argued the ethical credibility of male doctors administering contraceptive methods such as implants and cervical caps on patients. In one instance, Geary (2020) states that many women prefer being served by women doctors without considering if the available male doctors have more experience than their female counterparts.
To conclude, contraceptives have been in use worldwide for centuries. The numerous social, legal and ethical implications that these methods have in society has encouraged governments and medical institutions to inject more funding into contraceptive research projects that aim at developing better birth control methods.
References
Anon, N. (2020). Contraceptives And Birth Control. Introductory and General Biology.
Geary, M. (2019). Ethical Issues Relating To Reproduction Control And Women's Health. International Journal Of Gynecology And Obstetrics , 58(1): pp.167-76.
O’Brien, C. (2018). “Done Because We Are Too Menny”: The Two-Child Rule Promotes Poverty, Invokes a Narrative of Welfare Decadence, and Abandons Children’s Rights. The International Journal of Children's Rights , 26(4), pp 700-739.
Stacey, D. (2020, August 23). The Purpose of Using Birth Control . Retrieved from Verywell Health: https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-use-contraception-906692#:~:text=Although%20people%20may%20choose%20to,the%20timing%20of%20your%20pregnancies.
Yen, S. (2019). Birth Control Throughout History . Retrieved from Pandia Health: https://www.pandiahealth.com/resources/birth-control-throughout-history/#:~:text=In%20the%201950s%2C%20Planned%20Parenthood,on%20contraceptives%20for%20married%20couples.
