At first glance, you may think that the impact of birth control on the population is obvious. After all, if more people are preventing pregnancy, fewer babies are being born. You may also know that population and sustainability are inexorably linked. The world can only sustain life for a certain number of humans. But there is more to the relationship between birth control, population, and sustainability than meets the eye. Here are a few issues you should understand about them.
Birth Control Does More Than Lower Births
Most people employ methods of birth control to prevent pregnancy. They don’t want their desire for sex to be inhibited by a fear of conception. And they count on birth control to keep that from occurring.
Oral birth control, referred to as “the pill,” is a commonly used method. It works by using hormones to prevent ovulation and thicken cervix mucus. The former keeps eggs from leaving the ovaries while the latter makes it difficult for sperm to get into the uterus.
Birth control has other benefits, such as regulating periods or eliminating them entirely. Some, like Sprintec, can also help prevent acne. While controlling outbreaks is a bonus, acne isn’t deadly. Pregnancy, however, can be. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the pregnancy-related mortality rate is rising.
When pregnant women die, the population declines on both fronts. In addition, children born within two years of an older sibling face an increased mortality risk. This timing issue can be avoided by proper family planning. Both pregnancy prevention for at-risk women and family planning are possible when using birth control. Lowering the number of babies conceived is only part of the equation.
Birth Control Affects the Environment in More Ways Than One
Preventing pregnancy reduces births which, in turn, leads to having fewer people on the planet. The state of the natural world at any point in time is one limitation to how many people Earth can sustain. The choices those people make that impact the Earth is another limitation.
There are many hypotheses regarding the maximum population sustainable on the planet. These have resulted in a variety of estimates, some of which indicate the Earth is already overpopulated. Of course, use of birth control can help keep that number in check, which is a positive impact.
However, many forms of birth control have a negative impact on environmental sustainability. Billions of condoms end up in landfills where they take years to break down. Women using the pill release synthetic estrogen in their urine which travels to water treatment facilities then into waterways. Synthetic estrogen alters aquatic life, even creating female sex characteristics in male fish.
The value of using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections is tremendous. The value of using birth control containing estrogen is equally vital to population management. That is why waste management research worldwide is exploring ways to lessen the environmental impact of both.
The choices people make about birth control and family planning do affect sustainability of the environment on two levels. Although there are some negative environmental implications now, science will determine how to make it a sum zero proposition.
Birth Control Improves Health
Health and sustainability go hand in hand. Sustainable practices prioritize environmental conservation, ensuring the preservation of resources vital for human health, such as clean air, water, and nutritious food. By safeguarding these elements, sustainability fosters healthier living conditions, reducing the prevalence of diseases linked to pollution and inadequate resources.
Moreover, promoting sustainable habits encourages physical activity, healthier diets, and community engagement, all of which contribute to improved individual well-being. A sustainable environment supports the present and future health of both people and the planet, creating a harmonious balance essential for a thriving global ecosystem.
The advent of safe and effective forms of birth control changed the lives of women for the better and made a huge impact on health. Using birth control allowed women to pursue education, careers, and other interests outside of raising children. Empowered women can earn more money and make decisions that improve their health and well-being, as well as the planet’s.
Access to birth control regardless of income is critical to the health of humans and their environment. Poverty is a barrier to access, which leads to higher mortality rates among pregnant women and infants. It also results in an increasing population regardless of what women want. Birth control provides a way to reduce the percentage of the population who live in poverty. It also improves the health of women and children, regardless of their income.
Take Control
When gauging the impact birth control has on the world, you need to look beyond the obvious. The fact is that the population is affected by more than just reducing the number of embryos conceived. It’s also affected by lives lost due to increasing rates of mortality when those could have been avoided.
How many people is too many for the Earth to sustain is debatable. But the ability for humans to make choices that will improve the environment is linked to economic and social factors. Birth control offers women the ability to choose for themselves if and when they bring babies into the world.
So much seems to be beyond control these days. Birth control may be one way to rise above the chaos and create a better existence for everyone.
