In 2002 Amanda Phiede went into Kmart to fill a prescription. The pharmacist working there not only refused to give her the prescription, he also refused to transfer it so she could pick them up somewhere else. She wasn’t a minor; she was in college at the time and the prescription was legitimate. Neil Noesen, the pharmacist, was a devout Catholic and he refused to give the pills to her because he thought it was wrong (Forster).
The pills you ask, were for birth control.
Hospitals, schools, and pharmacies are made to serve the public. They’re meant to act in the best interests of those they serve. Not in the interest of the government official who decides what to teach in sex education without thinking of the repercussions, or the Pope who decides what the rules on birth control are for the Catholic Church, or the pharmacist who doesn’t want to write a prescription for birth control. Birth control of all forms should be an option and knowledge and resources should be denied to no one.
Birth control today has become much more than a contraceptive. Our ancestors didn’t ovulate as many times as women do today. They had later puberty, and once they started having children, they breast-fed without ovulating for long intervals. Evidence suggests they had as few as 30 menstrual cycles in a lifetime, compared with the average today at 300. This is significant because studies show that the greater the number of menstrual cycles a woman has, the greater the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
The Essay on Margaret Sanger Women Control Birth
Nearly 70 years ago, one woman pioneered one of the most radical and transforming political movements of the century. Through the life that she led and the lessons she taught us, many know her as the "one girl revolution." Though Margaret Sanger's revolution may be even more controversial now than during her 50-year career of national and international battles, her opinions can teach us many ...
Women taking birth control today are in a different situation. Birth control mimics the hormone profile of pregnant and lactating women, and they become more like our ancestors hormonally, even though they tend to reach puberty earlier, have fewer pregnancies and lactate less often and for shorter periods.
One of the many positive aspects to birth control other then preventing an unwanted pregnancy is it can help prevent and in some cases treat different types of ovarian and endometrial cancer. According to Valerie Beral, director of the Cancer Research Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University, each five-year interval of oral contraceptive use cuts a woman’s ovarian cancer risk by up to 29% (DeNoon).
It also helps with bad acne and oily skin. All women produce some testosterone, which can increase oil product ion and bring on breakouts. Some birth control pills contains the skin-friendly hormone norgestimate, which helps decrease your body’s testosterone levels.
Birth control can also prevent osteoporosis. Several studies show that by regulating hormones, the pill can help prevent osteoporosis, a gradual weakening of the bones. It’s also been known to regulate periods as well as reduce pain from menstrual cramps and migraines. Several years ago, British medical scientists published a 39-year follow-up of 23,000 women who started using the pill in the 1960s and 23,000 who did not. Among pill users, they found a significant reduction in ovarian, uterine and bowel cancers, and even melanomas. Another study of 17,000 women found that use of the pill was associated with a small but measurable increase in life expectancy.
Growing up, many of these positive aspects of birth control were never discussed in my class room. When I was in middle school, we were required to have a basic sex education class. We learned the diseases you could get from sex, how an STD and STI are passed, and how we all should be abstinent. Not once was the idea of contraceptives brought up other than condoms. This is what teenagers are given as “sex education”.
The Essay on Birth Control Pills
... therefore means that even when a woman is using the birth control pills it is important to use condoms to protect them from getting ... diseases that affect the breast (Zonderman. 135-137). Conclusion Although birth control pills play an ... monthly periods. In addition these pills have been said to offer protection from anemia, cancer of the ovaries and some ...
At least one out of three students has not learned enough information about contraceptives (“Adolescent Medicine”).
Since 1995 the use of birth control among teens ages 15 to 19 has declined twenty percent. The females aged 15-17 percentage dropped from 87% to 66% (“America’s Children”).
Teenagers are being taught that abstinence is the only way to not get pregnant and the only form of birth control they’re introduced to inside the classroom is a condom. If they mention condoms, they should also be willing and smart enough to set the females in the class aside and tell them their options regarding contraceptives.
While “the pill” is the most known form of birth control next to the condom, some people feel that they’ll forget to take it or have really bad mood swings. But this is not the only form of birth control out there. Many types have been created to cater to all types of people. First there is the pill. They’re taken every day and cost about $15- 20 a month. Next there’s the birth control shot. It lasts about 3 months and costs $35-75 per injection. Then there are several internal methods such as the NuvaRing, which lasts about 3 weeks and costs $15-85 a month; as well as a IUD, which is a Small, “T-shaped” device inserted into the uterus. This is the most expensive option, costing between $500 and $1000, but it can last up to 12 years. Aside from those, there’s male and female condoms, sponges, and spermicide that must be used every time you have intercourse (“Birth Control”).
In conclusion, I strongly feel that birth control and birth control knowledge should be available to everyone. It’s safe and convenient, has many positive aspects, and there are options to fit everyone’s need. Hopefully, with this information, people can make better and smarter decisions for their lives, and hopefully, no one will have to be denied birth control because someone doesn’t agree with it.