BIRTH CONTROL
Young American women are now delaying childbirth until later ages than their mothers did, but in many cases this delay is achieved by aborting an unintended pregnancy — almost two-thirds of the million and a half abortions in the United States in 1980 were obtained by women under age 25.
Currently, about 4.9 million couples of reproductive age in the: United States (about 9 percent of couples in this age group) rely on vasectomy for contraception. Nevertheless, there are few
reversible methods of contraception available for use by males, so that females are generally left to shoulder the burden of contraceptive responsibility.
If current rates of world population growth continue for the next five years, the world population will increase by about 375 million people, which is about the same as the current population of all the cities of Latin America and Africa combined.
As these facts show, methods for preventing unwanted or k. unintended pregnancy are either not used, misused, or used sporadically by many people. Those who rely on "faith" and "hope" as their primary contraceptives are playing a risky form of reproductive roulette, as many discover to their surprise. Others depend on unreliable contraceptive techniques like douching, using astrological charts, or using tampons. Contrary to common misbelief, female orgasm is not a requirement for conception, and making love while standing up or crossing your fingers doesn't prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
Not too long ago, contraceptive products could not be displayed or sold in certain states, abortions were illegal, and birth control methods were not very reliable. Although times have changed remarkably, people are now faced with a vast number of birth control products or methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In trying to make a personal choice, people may have a number of questions. Why use contraception? How does each method work? How well does it work? What are the medical risks? How might each method affect my sexuality? What possibilities do I have if I'm already pregnant? In the following pages, we will examine the currently available methods of birth control in an effort to answer some of these questions.
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