8 Ways Birth Control Has Changed Women’s Lives Birth control has been a vital asset to women’s lives, especially since May 1950 when oral co...

8 Ways Birth Control Has Changed Women’s Lives

Birth control has been a vital asset to women’s lives, especially since May 1950 when oral contraceptives were introduced. For over 70 years, women have had the power to wait as long as they need to start family planning. And some women make the decision to keep living their own lives on their own time. Birth control has opened doors for new opportunities, which has changed women’s roles in society.

 

Bodily autonomy through birth control affects so much more than what meets the eye. Despite the recent actions of the Supreme Court, many women know just how essential “the pill” has been for nearly a century. Beyond family planning, access to birth control gives women freedom. Here are just a few ways: 

1. Women Can Make Decisions for Themselves

The invention of the pill allowed both men and women to make decisions about the number of children they’d like to have. But this ability to make decisions shifted the balance of power and allowed women to make more decisions for themselves. In a sense, birth control paved the path for female empowerment. 

 

Having the benefit of choice and making the decisions best for you really makes you feel powerful, right? Today’s women are learning that they can be more assertive and confident about what they choose to do in life. Compare that to the 1950s and breathe a sigh of relief. No more cookie-cutter pathways made for women will be accepted beyond this point. 

2. They Can Pursue Higher Education

One path where women were able to pave their own way became higher education. As women were no longer expected or forced to have children, they were able to pursue passions outside the home. Studies show the percentage of women between 1970 and 2017 with a high school diploma increased from 55% to 90%. Improvement was seen in higher education too, as the percentage of women with a bachelor’s degree increased from 8% to 35%.

 

The work of activists everywhere allowed women an equal opportunity for a college education. But birth control allowed women to delay pregnancies until after they got their education. Or it enabled them to simply pursue their career directly after college. A desire to learn was much less likely to be interrupted by an unplanned pregnancy. The only surprises were pop quizzes during 8 a.m. classes.  

3. They Can Build Their Career

During World War II, many women took over the workforce to replace the men who went to war. Even after the men returned, many women were itching to have a job of their own outside of homemaking. The excuse that women could only stay home is rendered void when birth control is there to let them follow their dreams.

 

Now there are women excelling in virtually every industry. Women are no longer strictly occupying secretarial or other “feminine jobs.” Now we see them as CEOs and in other positions of power. Someday, that may even include the role of Madam President, especially as Kamala stands as vice president. 

4. Women Are Less Likely to Live in Poverty

As a result of the freedom to work outside the home and pursue higher education, many women have been able to achieve financial freedom. Additionally, fewer women live in poverty. In fact, studies show having access to birth control contributed to 30% of the wage gains made by women between the 1960s and 1990s.

 

As women were able to pursue higher education, they were able to compete in traditionally male-dominated fields. Women became scientists, politicians, and astronauts, and paved the way for more women behind them. Women were also able to become breadwinners and gain more independence. 

5. Women Can Stop Debilitating Period Symptoms

A few cramps aren’t the only problem women have during menstruation. Before birth control, many women suffered from irregular periods, heavy bleeding, and other afflictions like endometriosis and PMS. For many women worldwide, endometriosis can cause extreme bloating, severe cramps, and even mental health problems. Birth control reduces hormones that make symptoms worse and reduces the pain caused by them.

 

For women with the premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a more severe version of PMS, their cycle can be terrible. It means having mood swings awful enough to destroy relationships, fatigue, depression, and other life-altering problems. PMDD can be helped with a simple birth control prescription.

6. They Can Avoid or Limit Having Children

Not all women want to be mothers. And for some, pregnancy could lead to permanent bodily damage or even death. With reliable birth control, it is less likely for a woman to get pregnant by accident and have to consider gut-wrenching options. They can continue living the lifestyle they envisioned for themselves with no interruptions.

Birth control can also be beneficial for women who already have children and want to focus on taking care of them. For some women, additional children hinder their ability to properly care for the ones already here. Birth control ensures that no surprise pregnancies will take away attention from current children. Mothers can confidently budget for their children’s needs without additional expenses. 

7. Women Are Able to Experience Sexual Freedom

Before birth control, if women decided to have sex, they were risking pregnancy. It’s not hard to guess that people can enjoy sex a lot more when the fear of accidental pregnancy isn’t in the way. Sex partners can embrace the moment and have more sex without having to make elaborate plans.

Who wants to worry about the best time to have sex by calculating ovulation and fertility? Or worse, use less effective methods like pulling out or guessing and hoping for the best outcome? No, thanks. Birth control has allowed women to have more control over this area of their lives.

 

The invention of birth control was a game-changer when it came to women’s health. However, this wasn’t the only area of a woman’s life that saw improvement. Being able to have control over their fertility gave women control over their lives. No longer forced to stay home, women were given the freedom to explore education, work, and the things that make life worth living.