Legalization of birth control fight in the early 1900s - Term Paper Example

Legalization of Birth Control Fight in the Early 1900s The debate of the birth control can be d way before but the real fight started when Margaret Sanger brought the importance of the issue of a bigger platform. Every person in this world is born with his/her own freedom and there is no denying in the face that every woman has earned herself the right to own and control her own body. She has the right t decide if she wants a baby in her womb or not, and if a woman cannot decide that, then she has no right to call herself a woman. Taking a look at who Margaret Sanger was, she was a nurse and a public health worker who was born in Corning, New York. Margaret was the pioneer in the movement of birth control. This was the time when she voiced her opinions on the contraception and their advantages when they had become illegal. Early in the twentieth century, there was a heavy toll of sickness and premature deaths noticed among the working class women who got pregnant and were made to work in the poor working conditions in the working neighborhood of New York State. Margaret raised her voice against the illegalization of contraception and said that a step should be taken for the prevention of repeated pregnancies (Tobin 1901-1937) . She worked under Havelock Ellis after travelling to Europe and got extensive training on the human sexuality. After she returned to United States, she launched a program where she gave better access to family planning information to the women who were expecting babies and later starting mailing the birth control pamphlets to her clients. Since she was using U.S mail, therefore in the year 1916, she got arrested as well as her clinic which gave assistance on birth control measures was located in Brooklyn. With her controversial books and pamphlets, she started off her program on educating women on family planning. She wrote many of the books and pamphlets and one of them was What Every Girl Should Know (1913). This was a detailed book which gave answers to the unasked questions such as girlhood, puberty, sexual impulse, reproduction and the diseases which can be potentially transferred. She gave very vague but never clear ideas that what can be done to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. However, she became quite a controversial lady in the eyes of the medical leaders and the nursing professionals when she raised her voice on a taboo topic such as the masturbation. But since she had an enlightened attitude, therefore she carried on with her and her concentration. In the year 1923, she successfully opened a family planning clinician New York and later on arranged conferences which were held on the international and national level, discussing the family planning issues. National Committee on Federal Legislation for Birth was found by her and she became the President of the committee until the breakup of the committee after the federal birth control legislation enactment in 1937 (Sanger n.p.). She was a brave woman who inspired women all over the work and she discussed the need of birth control through a number of conferences held in many parts of the world. She travelled to Africa, Europe to spread more awareness on the issue and established many clinics world wide as well. For centuries, women have fought in the society for their own rights. Anything that they have wanted to themselves, they always had to earn it through fight and perseverance. Just like Margaret Sanger, history show many women who have stood up for the rights of the women and these social activists made innumerable contribution to the women history. Right over birth control is not the only issue that they had to deal with, infact, right to vote, and right to work with equal opportunities were few of the many issues for which they fought and stood up against for. It is very important to realize that a woman has a right over her body and by right over it is meant, that she should have the right to decided that when does she want a baby in her life. Until the year 1914, women of America were deprived of the basic knowledge of sex and pregnancy. There were some cases where women gave birth to over a ten children and later dedicated their lives for their upbringing and in other cases they would get pregnant and expose themselves and their babies to life threatening scenarios by working in such a delicate condition in unsafe conditions such as factories etc. Giving birth to so many children deprives a woman off energy. This was the time when sex was not spoken of and Sanger spoke in favor of birth control. She highlighted that in order to ensure that women have safe and am easier life, it is recommended that the family limitation or in other words, birth control should be taken under consideration. Although there were several attempts made to set back the campaign by obscene objections, however she pointed out that family planning has already been incorporated by millions of influential families because they want a better, and a well planned life (Joffe 91-96). The importance of birth control becomes even dire in the scenarios where the mother is suffering from serious ailments, and in such cases the life of the woman is endangered even more and the chances of the survival of the baby is also very minimal. This results in high mortality rate of the mothers as well as the infants or in a few situations results in the premature birth controls. Therefore the sound and sane birth control education campaign is very important so that the lives of these mothers can be saved, as well as the prevention of the diseased or defective child can be ensured and most importantly women can only give birth to her child when she is physically and mentally prepared as well. The era, in which Sanger fought for the rights of the women with respect to the birth control right, it marked the dawn of a new era. The feminists realized the important role that the birth control rights play over the lives and how these women should be treated as humans and not as sexual toys that have no control over their bodies. This movement paved the path for the modern women and not that she will only earn the rights over her body, but with the passage of time, earned to rights to many other social issues as well such as the right to vote. Gradually, she will be referred to as the women of the century who will be involved in other social reforms as well, and will help develop America as a country in which the American philosophy of social justice, science and modernism can be built (Joffe 91-96). The right to modernism gave the women an advantage, the incentive of going to work or college with a greater and a better opportunity. In this way, they had a chance of going to colleges but also to involve themselves in social work which helped to emerge the social clubs and organizations. The importance of the contraceptives increased even more when the discovery of the sexually transmitted diseases was made. Individuals wanted contraceptives which are effective without any harmful effects and can help these individuals from the sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS and can have safe sexual intercourse. Although there is nothing known as a perfect method but it is still safe to choose a safer way (Tobin 1907-1937). Birth control which is defined as the different ways of controlling the pregnancy from occurring has been quite a topic of concern for the individuals for a very long time. Sea sponges, mixtures of crocodile dung and honey, quinine, rock salt and alum were some of the ways which were introduced in order to prevent the male sperm from fertilizing the female egg. This issue became a topic of interest; especially for women who were either became unhealthy in the process of child birth or gave birth to a premature or defective baby. Since the mortality rate was so high in the child births that women paid no heed and gave birth to over a ten children to make sure that at least five of them could survive. It was in the early 1800s that these death rates began to decrease and the birth control came on a bigger platform. But still many were too reluctant to discuss the issue. There were resistance movement from the religious leaders and other groups, whereas on the other hand the Comstock Law was passed by the U.S. Congress which regulated the access of the general public to birth control devices and the information related to it for atleast a sixty years. This prohibition was not only restricted to the general public but to the medical practitioners and doctors as well. When Margaret started off her birth control movement, the large number of medical clinics providing assistance on birth control emerged. Consequently, there were efforts made to undermine her work and she even got arrested with a couple of other supporters. She not only provided the information but as well as devices to provide them assistance. Then later in 1930 the New York State legalized the contraceptives and it gave a new turn to the Comstock Law. Then later on in the year 1972, the Supreme Court legalized the contraceptives for the unmarried couples as well. The question was the fight that was initiated by Margaret justified or not. It was. Every woman, she said had a right over her body and was no sexual animal. She has the right as well as the control, since she consciously should make the decision if she wants to become a mother or not. Although Margaret wrote many controversial papers, but she knew what she was fighting for (Sanger n.p.). The spread and the gradual development of the topic totally revolutionized the role of the women, gave them an upper standing as well as improved the relationship of women and men. This step showed that women also have individuality in the society and they have a chance to speak for themselves as well. Sanger had played a very important role in the society with respect to the birth control and her contribution is very significant. References Tobin, Kathleen A. The American Religious Debate Over Birth Control, 1907-1937. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, 2001. Print. Joffe, Carole E. "It's Not Just Abortion, Stupid: Progressives and Abortion." Dissent. 52.1 (2011): 91-96. Print. Sanger, Margaret, Esther Katz, Cathy M. Hajo, and Peter Engelman. The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2002. Print Read More