Abstinence vs. Birth Control

Birth Control and Abstinence

Birth Control vs. Abstinence

Although birth control methods and abstinence are widely acknowledged and practiced, it is necessary to consider their pros and cons.

Every female holds the right to decide if and at what time she wants to become pregnant. For couples who are planning for pregnancy, the use of birth control methods until they are prepared facilitates them in making sure that the mother and the newborn will be as healthy as possible. If an individual is sexually active, the single means to prevent pregnancy is to opt for a helpful birth control method and to make use of it in the correct and consistent fashion ("Birth Control: What's Right for You?").

According to Columbia Encyclopedia, birth control can be defined as the "practice of contraception for the purpose of limiting reproduction" ("Birth Control"). The research that has been conducted till date has not been able to identify the best method of birth control as all the methods have their pros and cons. Every man and woman can have control over the time they become parents. However, it is not easy to make choices about birth control or contraceptive methods. A lot of things are to be thought of and considered including the overall health, the frequency of having sexual intercourse, the number of sex partners, the desire to have children, possible side effects and the comfort level while using the contraceptive methods. However, this is necessary to remember that even the most effective birth control methods can be unsuccessful ("Birth Control Methods").

Abstinence, on the other hand, can be simply described as not having sex by any means i.e. vaginal, anal or oral. In other words, when an individual makes up his/her mind to practice sexual abstinence, it means that he/she has made a decision to not have sex. Abstinence is said to be the simplest type of birth control which doesn't require one to use any method. It just means that if a couple has decided not to have sexual intercourse, there would be no possibility of a sperm to fertilize an egg and thus, there would be no pregnancy as a consequence. The birth control methods of other forms such as condoms are dependent on barriers that put off the sperm from getting the egg or obstruct with the menstrual cycle as done by birth control pills. However, there is no necessity of any barrier or pill by means of abstinence.

Birth Control Methods

The methods of birth control for males include pulling out of the male before ejaculation. This is said to be the oldest technique for contraception. Another method is the use of the condom which is a rubber covering used to cover the penis. Due to its use as a protection against sexually transmitted diseases, the condom is the most frequently device for birth control ("Birth Control").

On the other hand, the contraceptive methods for females include the rhythm method i.e. restraining from sexual intercourse around the most possible time of ovulation. Moreover, in order to control birth, women also employ precoital insertion of substances including spermicidal-chemicals-contained creams, foams, jellies, or suppositories into their vaginas. Diaphragm is another cup-shaped device made of rubber used for insertion before intercourse and helps in the prevention of sperm from reaching the uterine cervix. The best results are obtained when it used along with a spermicide. Contraceptive sponges infused with a spermicide are also used to insert into the vagina before having sexual interaction. It also principally works to put a stop to the fertilization of female egg by the male sperm. Intrauterine devices, also known as IUDs, are small objects of various shapes that a doctor inserts into the uterus. Their main purpose is to create a uterine environment that is unreceptive either to sperm or to the fertilized egg ("Birth Control").

The birth control pill is in fact an oral contraceptive. The intake of these pills "involves a hormonal method in which estrogen and progestins (progesterone like substances) are taken cyclically for 21 or 84 days, followed by 7 days of inactive or no pills" ("Birth Control"). The production of the pituitary hormones i.e. luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone that usually cause ovulation is suppressed by the elevated hormonal levels in the blood. There is also another kind of an oral contraceptive formulation in which no inactive pills are utilized. It is taken every day and is helpful in the complete suppression of menstruation. Moreover, the weekly use of a contraceptive skin patch is also helpful in the deliverance of estrogen and progestins. A flexible plastic ring, popularly known as the vaginal ring, can also be used for a whole month for the slow release of estrogen and progestins into the body via the vaginal tract ("Birth Control").

During a Cesarean section or soon after child birth, sterilization of the female is often performed in which the Fallopian tubes i.e. The vessels carrying the egg cells from the ovaries to the uterus are either cut or tied. In the process of vasectomy, i.e. The male sterilization, the surgeons interrupt the tubes that transmit sperm from the testes to the penis. In the majority of cases, sterilization is irreversible. However, the libido or capacity for sex is not lost as a consequence ("Birth Control").

The birth control shot, renowned as Depo-Provera, is another method for birth control. In this method, the women get injections or shots of the hormone progestin in their buttocks or arm every three months. Its purpose is to prevent the release of eggs from the ovaries. It is also a cause of changes in the cervix by which the sperms are stopped from joining the egg. The implantable rod is a matchstick-size, stretchy rod. It is put under the skin of the upper arm to hold back the sperm from joining an egg as it releases a progestin that causes changes in the inside layer of the uterus and the cervical mucus. However, it is only useful for a period of five years ("Birth Control Methods").

It is exceedingly important to mention here that there is still no contraceptive formulated that is at the same time trouble-free, good enough, protected, helpful, and reversible. For instance, the diaphragm, condom, and chemical and rhythm methods necessitate high stimulus by users. Similarly, the pill that is taken on a daily basis often provokes negative side effects including unsettled stomach, headache, weight increase, and superior propensity of blood clots development. While the intrauterine devices do not need any personal effort or motivation, they are often intolerable, are expelled. In case they are not properly designed, they can also become the cause of uterine infection, septic abortion, and similar problems ("Birth Control").

In case of the non-usage or failure of birth control, a number of large dosages of certain oral contraceptives may be prescribed by the doctors as "morning after" pills. As a consequence, the establishment of pregnancy even after the occurrence of can be inhibited by the high hormonal level ("Birth Control"). All birth control methods work the best only if they are used in the correct way. It is also important to use them every time a couple has sex. It is also important to know the right way to use those ("Birth Control Methods").

However, as already mentioned, all the birth control methods have several side effects that cannot be ignored. For instance, some side effects and risks of sterilization surgery for women include pain, bleeding, complications from surgery and ectopic pregnancy. The sterilization surgery for men also causes the same side effects excluding the ectopic pregnancy. The implantable rod method does not work for obese and overweight women. Other women have high risks of developing acne, weight gain, ovarian cysts, mood swings, gloominess, hair loss, headache, nausea, wooziness, and sore breasts, changes in menstrual cycle and disinterest in having sex ("Birth Control Methods"). Intrauterine devices sometimes become the cause of "cramps, bleeding between periods, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility or tear or hole in the uterus" ("Birth Control Methods").

Shot/Injection can cause bleeding between periods, increase in weight, tenderness in breasts and headaches. If used for a long period of time, they can also cause loss of bones. The side effects of using oral contraceptives include faintness, nausea, and changes in menstrual cycle, stroke, mood swings, weight gain, and high blood pressure, coagulation of blood, heart attack, and vision problems. The vaginal ring causes vagina to swell and vaginal discharge along with irritation. When diaphragm is used with spermicide, it causes pain, allergic reactions, urinary tract infection and in case of longer use, toxic shocks. Due to their several side effects, oral contraceptives, vaginal ring, diaphragm, shot/injection, and IUDs must be only used after taking the prescription from a doctor. Condoms, spermicides and emergency contraceptive pills can, however, be bought over the counter ("Birth Control Methods").

Abstinence

As far as abstinence is concerned, it is claimed that it is the only and most effective form of birth control that results in the 100% prevention of pregnancy. Although a lot of other methods discussed above can have high success rates if used as they should be, they cannot succeed frequently. Their success depends on the sort of birth control used. The practice of abstinence, however, guarantees that a female has no chance of becoming pregnant as no opportunity is provided to the sperm to join with an egg (Macones).

As far as the benefits of sexual abstinence are concerned, it surely protects people against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Some STDs spread in the course of oral-genital sex or even via close skin-to-skin contact with no real penetration of male penis into female vagina. Herpes and genital warts spread in the same way. It means that if one avoids all types of intimate genital contacts, he/she would have no chance of getting any STDs. This avoidance of all types of intimate genital contact is actually called complete abstinence (Macones).

It is important to mention here that if an individual practices complete and consistent abstinence, only then he/she can prevent pregnancy and get protection against STDs. This is because when a person does not get involved in any type of intimate sexual contact, practicing complete abstinence, he/she has no risk of forwarding a sexually transmitted disease or infection. Consistent abstinence simply means that the person puts abstinence into practice incessantly. To have sex even once is risky as one can get an infection anytime. However, AIDS and Hepatitis B infections cannot be prevented by abstinence as they are the resultant of nonsexual activities like using infected needles, tattooing, or intake of steroids (Macones).

As compared to birth control methods, abstinence seems an easier option as one doesn't have to do anything while practicing it. However, it is a really difficult task as the decision to practice abstinence is hindered by peer pressure and sex-related things one watches on the television, in movies or on Internet. The teenagers, in particular, feel that in order to be accepted, they need to be involved in sexual activities as they see every other person having sex. The young generation needs to understand that they must not be pushed by friends, partners, or even the media into something that is not suitable for them. Two people can be in a relationship without getting indulged in sexual activities. Having or not having sex is a personal choice so the people who care must respect this decision (Macones). Just as choosing what birth control method is important, similarly the choice to practice abstinence is also an important decision.

Young people are all the time bombarded by the conventional media with sexually explicit messages. Television programs and even the commercials repeatedly feature couples having sex before marriage and sexually stimulating content that obviously gives the impression that all young people are sexually vigorous before the wed lock. However, it is good news that even though the media targets its young audiences with sex-saturated programs and information, a majority of youngsters opts for abstinence instead of being sexually active and using birth control methods (Maher).

The facts and statistics reveal that the youngsters today deeply value sexual abstinence. This must not come as a surprise as a majority of teenagers view abstinence in a favorable way. In a recent survey, approximately 94% of the teens believed that it is the responsibility of the society to give a strong message to the teens regarding abstinence from sex until at least after high school. Moreover, a good number of teens think highly of virginity. Two studies point towards the contribution of to the twenty four percent decline (1994-2003) in premarital teen birthrates.

The best example in this regard is that of Uganda where both abstinence and monogamy helped in the reduction of the spread of AIDS. Uganda was unfortunate as during the 1980 decade, the HIV infections in the country reached epidemic proportions. However, the HIV infection rates declined to six percent from twenty one percent in the 1990s. This miraculous change happened after President Museveni initiated a mass education campaign that promoted a three-step AIDS prevention message including the "abstinence from sexual activity until marriage; monogamy within marriage; and condoms as a last resort" (Maher). This message gained popularity as "ABC: Abstain, be faithful, and use Condoms" (Maher) in case of the failure of A and B. Most reports reveal that the success of this program was not due to the usage of condoms but mainly because of monogamy and abstinence. A Science Study conducted in 2004 presented the conclusion which stated that "abstinence among young people and monogamy, rather than condom use, contributed to the decline of AIDS in Uganda" (Maher).

Thus, it is crystal clear that the long-lasting consequences (negative) of sex before marriage including out-of-wedlock pregnancy, STDs, psychological problems, promiscuity, and future marital fragmentation can be avoided by the help of practicing abstinence. On the other hand, the sexually transmitted diseases are not prevented by using the birth control pills. When the pills are typically used, the reports show that they have an eight percent failure rate when it comes to the issue of prevention of pregnancy. Condoms, when typically used, are also found to have a fifteen percent failure rate in preventing pregnancy. Moreover, their effectiveness in protection against STDs is also limited. The NIH study conducted a study, according to which, the correct and consistent use of condoms diminished the risk of gonorrhea in men. It also provided an 85% reduction in HIV / AIDS transmission between both men and women. However, no evidence was found by this study regarding the condoms helping in the prevention of 6 other sexually transmitted diseases including Chlamydia, genital herpes, and syphilis. Moreover, the youngsters in particular, do not know the right method to use condoms (Maher).