Pursasive speech on why woman in the united states Navy should be on birth control - Essay Example

Use of Birth Control Pill among Women in the United s Navy The U.S Navy, in embarked on a peer mentorship to enhance open discussions among the force with regards to the use of contraceptive pills (Uriell p.71). A survey by the Navy conducted in 2010 discovered that unplanned pregnancies constituted to nearly 75% of all pregnancies, with contraception use among couples standing at just over 30%. Pregnancies that occurred during sea duty were devastating leading to a loss in manpower (Royle p.36).

With an ever increasing reliance for military personnel in the Navy, recruitment of women is at an all-time high. Women that have been enlisted are being trained in the same facilities as men and record almost similar scores in areas such as military intelligence and sharp-shooting. With the Navy’s positive stand on the use of oral contraceptives, the link between effective female personnel; at par with their male counterparts; and use of contraceptives cannot be understated. A survey conducted in September 2010 interviewed women deployed in the Navy and Marine Corps on how they dealt with the challenges associated with menstruation during deployment.

A common theme noted was increased pain experienced, and many cited the difficulty of complying with the pill; with only 21% on the pill (Skouby p.32). The reasons as to why women in the Navy use birth control pills vary. Some refuse to use birth control pills for fear of mood swings and weight gain while others counter the menstrual cycle with contraceptives. Most of the women interviewed preferred using the contraceptives. The use of the birth control pill causes biological and chemical changes in women’s bodies.

When they are on the pill, there is no ovulation and therefore the uterine wall is not as inflamed as usual (Cassaza p.11). This result in less bleeding attributed to the decline in hormonal levels where the uterine lining breaks down in response to the changes. The effects of the use of pills such as Seasonique are that there is little or no cramping, lighter menstrual flow and reduction in the menstrual periods. Women in the U.S. Navy are increasingly being deployed in combat zones and the DOD’s estimates that 15% of military personnel on active duty are women.

The use of the pill is, therefore, advisable in enabling them to conduct their duties even during the menstrual period (Armstrong p.57). According to Thomas et al., (p. 20), human nature is tied with a need for companionship and emotional connection regardless of the situations at hand. Men and women in the Navy cohabit for long periods of time together and it is only natural they start developing emotional and sexual attraction feelings towards each other. Regardless of the structures and rules put in place to curtail such relations, a percentage of the service men and women occasionally engage in sexual behavior.

A report by the Navy showed that when the military permitted Navy women to board ships, there were reports of pregnancies (Rosenfeld p.7). The reason for the invention of the contraceptive pill was to curb unwanted pregnancies, and the use of the pill would have prevented such incidences. In addition, pregnant women cannot be on active duty; they are sent home on maternity leave and such cases reduce the working force in the Navy (Drife p.30). The use of contraceptive pills aids in the regulation of the monthly period.

By doing so, women can perform the same duties as men would continually without interruptions. This is achieved by adhering to a monophasic formula containing active pills and placebos. By taking the active pills the menstrual flow is prohibited allowing for continual in normal activities whereas the ingestion of the placebo pills allows continual of the period (Hoffman, 42). This is highly convenient to women in the Navy who may take the active pills in hectic months of service and during slow months, ingest the placebos for a continual of the menstrual cycle.

Therefore, the divide between men and women of the Navy is reduced. Thank you for taking time to listen to the importance of birth control pills for women in the U.S. Navy. Continue reading below. Works Cited Armstrong, Lawrence E., and Carl M. Maresh. Conditioning Military Women for Optimal Performance: Effects of Contraceptive Use.

Belvoir: Defense Technical Information Center, 1998.Copied to Clipboard!Copied to Clipboard! Make sure that titles in APA citations are properly capitalized. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word or any proper nouns. Copied to Clipboard!Sexuality today: the human perspective. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Rosenfeld, Susan C.Encyclopedia of American historical documents. New York: Facts On File, 2004.

Hoffman, Elizabeth, and Jon Gjerde. Major Problems in American History: documents and essays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002. Casazza, Gretchen Ann, and Berkeley California. The effects of ovarian hormones on cardiorespiratory function and fat mobilization during rest and exercise.New York: Longhorn, 2003. Print. Copied to Clipboard! Drife, James O..The benefits and risks of oral contraceptives today.2nd ed. London: Parthenon Pub. Group, 1996.

Print Royle, Marjorie H..Reducing Unplanned Pregnancies in the Navy. Ft. Belvoir: Defense Technical Information Center, 1996. Print. Copied to Clipboard!Skouby, Sven O.. Oral contraceptives: Effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin- dependent diabetic women and women with previous gestational diabetes. A clinical and biochemical assessment. København: Laegerforeningens Forl., 1987. Print. Thomas, Patricia J., and Zannette A. Uriell.Pregnancy and single parenthood in the Navy.

San Diego, CA: Navy Personnel Research and Development Center, 1998. Print. Copied to Clipboard!Uriell, Zannette A..Pregnancy and Parenthood: Results of the 2001 Survey.Ft. Belvoir: Defense Technical Information Center, 2004. Print.