The Moral and Ethical Issues Surrounding Artificial Birth Control

Authors Avatar
THE MORAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING ARTIFICIAL BIRTH CONTROL

Birth is one of the most fascinating events of human life, it symbolises all that is scientifically and spiritually wondrous about the human life and the human body. Yet it is also however, a very controversial issue, with many standpoints and different groups and societies holding different views.

Artificial birth control as the name suggest is the ability to control reproduction, in two ways, either by preventing it; contraception or by increasing the chances of conception through fertility treatments. Either way artificial birth control is all about giving people direct control over one of the most natural processes known to mankind.

There are various forms of artificial birth control and where contraception is concerned these range from the least invasive like natural family planning methods to far greater direct methods such as birth control pills. Natural family planning methods are based on the principle that conception can be avoided by abstaining from sex during the woman's most fertile period. The two most popular methods are the temperature method and the rhythm method. These have a very high success rate when combined with other forms of contraception. Another option is to use barrier methods of which there are five; male condoms, female condoms, diaphragm, sponge and the cervical cap. All these methods mechanically block the sperm from entering the uterus thus keeping the sperm and egg apart. Spermicides, are another from of contraceptive these come in many forms such as foams, jellies and gels. They work by providing a chemical as well as physical barrier to sperm cells. However, of all the various contraceptives available on the market, by far the most effective and popular due its convenience is the birth control pill, these oral contraceptives are especially designed to control the hormone levels of the woman. These pills need to be taken daily, for the entire duration that the woman is sexually active and does not wish to conceive. If taken correctly, success rate is close to 100%, but the drawback is that one needs to remember to take it daily, else it loses its effectiveness.
Join now!


But birth control isn't just do with preventing pregnancy, it can also be used to maximize the chance of pregnancy, and for couples suffering from infertility problems it can provide the only real hope of achieving the desire to have a baby. One of the most common treatments for infertility is the use of IVF treatment. In a typical IVF procedure, a woman is treated with fertility drugs to regulate her menstrual cycle and stimulate the development of higher quality eggs. This process helps to ensure that a sufficient number of healthy eggs are available for fertilization. Eggs ...

This is a preview of the whole essay