The history of birth control and its affect on american cultur

The History of Birth Control and its Affect on American culture

The History Behind it: 1550 B.C. the Egyptians taught of how mixing berries and wiping it on wool can be used as a pessary (1). Casanova wrote memoirs about how he would use sheep bladder condoms or use lemons as a makeshift cervical cap (1). Vulcanized Rubber comes about and they try to make condoms out of the new material(1). In 1873 the United Stats government outlawed contraception being the only country in the world to do so(1).  Margaret Sanger starts the American Birth Control League in 1921, which later becomes Planned Parenthood(1).  In the 1930’s Anglican Bishops approved their followers for limited use of Contraceptives(1). The law against contraceptives was lifter in 1938(1). The first birth control pill human trial was conducted in Massachusetts in 1954 by John Rock. (1). “A new study of 46,000 women conducted over 40 years found that women on the Pill live longer and are less likely to die prematurely of all causes, including cancer and heart disease. Some 100 million women around the world use the Pill” (1).

            How it Affects American Culture:  America is broadcasted to the world as a sexy, war loving, media crazed country. In some cases this is true our views on a persons appearance is much more than any other country. So when something like birth control and “the pill” came out it is no wonder that it flourished in our country. It has become an everyday part in our culture today that girls take birth control. I mean something like that will and have thrived in our culture, especially because of how our culture is.  Many people are concerned that the pill is starting to take away from the emotional part of having sex with another person, because without the risk of having a child, there is not as big of importance in the act (2). Another way that it is starting to form our culture, is that the government in certain states is giving it to women to keep them from producing large broods, especially those who would be unfit to receive welfare (2). Others are concerned that something so instinctual as mating could turn into something more animalistic to the point where we just mate casually and with random people, not really concerned about raising the child or being married to the mother or father.

(1)        "A brief history of Birth Control." Time, May 03, 2010.    http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983970,00.html (accessed February 27, 2014).

(2)        "The Pill: Negatively Affecting U.S. morals." U.S. News and World Report. . http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/filmmore/ps_revolution.html (accessed February 27, 2014).