Birth Control

Beliefs, research, and debate about birth control have been present in societies since Ancient Rome. People have had more efficient means available (such as the latex condom and the anovulant pill) since the 1950s. With the advent of these widely available types of birth control has come increased ethical, religious, social, and familial debates. The Catholic Church, in particular, has maintained a position of only approving natural family planning via the calendar method.

On a personal level, birth control enables people to plan for or against pregnancy within their own timeframes. However, birth control can also be a matter of public policy to manipulate population growth. For instance, governments like Israel created noncoercive pronatalist measures that reward bigger families with tax reductions and other incentives. In ...