The Pros And Cons Of Birth Control

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One of the largest contentions in American history lies in the relationship between sexuality and reproduction. For many, it is intuitive to believe them to be inherently linked; therefore, movements that have sought to decouple the two ideas have been met with fierce resistance. Two methods by which partners delineate the progression from sexual pleasure to child rearing are abortion and contraception. Thought on these methods has evolved through the lenses of economic freedom and eugenicist planning. It is through these perspectives by which businesses and political groups have justified their attempts to exert control over access to contraception and abortion. Contraceptives are consumer goods and require profit focused businesses to supply…show more content…
Anti-socialist crusaders dominated this decade and believed that “communism was caused by overpopulation and could be halted by birth control.” (Briggs, 146-147) These crusaders attempted to reduce the burgeoning American birth rates by targeting birth control legislation at people they deemed to be the riff-raff of society. These anti-socialist groups paired with the eugenicist movement across the country in their efforts, which saw “more than 10 states” propose legislation “requiring women on welfare to use birth control.” (Briggs, 146) These efforts ultimately failed however, and the two groups attempted to combat overpopulation within the continental United States through public clinics and birth control distributors, who gave free or severely discounted contraceptives and birth control devices to women the organizations deemed to be undesirable. Due to the organizations’ distaste for the groups whom they were supplying contraceptive and birth control devices, the clinics made often of provided only inferior quality and ineffective devices for preventing pregnancies, as these devices were the cheapest available for

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