Women's decisions about childbearing: societal pressures versus individual choice

Fertility Factors

Procreation and human reproduction is one of the great and mysterious blessings human kind can experience. Females have a special relationship to this process due to the biological functions assigned to their bodies, requiring responsibility in choice in utilizing this gift of life. The purpose of this essay is to explore the factors affecting fertility by specifically examining the issue of the factors that contribute most to a woman's decision whether or when to have children. This essay will divide this argument into two different perspectives that will help highlight and explain the current situation that dictates much of the reproduction trends in today's world.

The False Pressures From Society

Currently, society, as a group, does not present strong values to women. Although a great impulse of seemingly sexually liberating events have occurred in recent times, things are still pretty bleak if a women is drawing her social cues from mainstream society. Sexual roles are very confused right now as a push to demonstrate the benefits of homosexuality are echoing throughout the country further confusing the landscape and making things difficult to understand.

Society is also experiencing a technological growth spurt that has demonstrated a profound effect on reproduction. Cloning, test tube babies and morning after pills all contribute to the many choices and options a person can have when navigating the reproduction question. Medicine appears to have invaded the personal space of many mothers and can have an overwhelming effect on the personal choice of a woman who is contemplating giving birth.

Although all of these issues are real, they should have little effect on a woman's choice when and how to have a baby. The collective urge to keep everyone on the same level and to eliminate diversity within culture, appears to sway those who are thinking about birth to reconsider and avoid it. A reactionary and exaggerated claim of overpopulation insists that expecting mothers are in fact burdening the earth with another resource, incapable of handling an additional mouth to feed. To make matters worse, the genital mutilation (circumcision) that occurs on most male births and the overdose of vaccinations that are given in the first few hours of life suggests that life will in fact be filled with torture and pain. It appears that future mothers are facing a discouraging society.

Conclusion

Life is a miracle and not one person can explain it in its entirety. In such cases when extreme personal meaning are demonstrated such as life, society plays a secondary role. Success is a relative term where a successful parent is not something obvious to find. Life itself cannot be fully described in terms of failure and success either, due to the mysterious nature of the experience and extreme lack of knowledge about the afterlife and pre- life of one's essence or soul.

Life itself should be viewed as a success as some sort due to the extraordinary events that take place during this experience. Pain and trouble is a necessity on this path, and life should not be discounted because of how these important factors eventually bring happiness and bliss when transcended. It is time for society to mind its own business and let those with the interest to make love and babies to do so at their own convenience and in their own way.