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Alayna Benjamin

Professor Hunter

English Composition II

2/6/2020

Literature Review

The topic that I chose to focus on for my research essay is contraceptives that are

available for women to use and take. I have also chosen two research questions to base my

research on which are, “Which form of contraception is the safest and most effective for

women?”, and, “What factors influence a women's decision about contraceptives?”. I did slightly

change my second research question because what I was asking before could have tied into the

first question. For my first source I decided to find some history on the use of contraceptives.

According to Jütte in “Contraception: A History”, written by Maria Papadima, “Although

contraception became popular in the 1960s by the women’s movement, it had been practiced and

experimented with even in the ancient times with a fluctuating success rate” (Jütte 181).

Progressive organizations, such as women’s groups, played an active role in spreading the idea

of contraception and even women’s empowerment.

Despite being accepted by women, contraception has not always been accepted by

different religions and religious institutions. By the time of the Early Fathers of the Church, the

use of withdrawal (onanism), other contraceptive practices, and abortion begin to receive

increasing condemnation. Christian institutions condemned and outlawed contraception more

than other non-Christian institutions did. In fact some religions had viewed contraceptives as

sinful acts that were against nature and the Holy word. This source gives historical context about
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contraception when it was first being used years ago. The audience of this source are people who

want background information about contraceptives. I believe this source may not be as reliable

as other sources because it was not written less than 4-5 years ago.

One of the key points that repeated between some of the sources I used was women’s

rights. In Mozumbdar’s article, “Choice of Contraceptive Methods in Public and Private

Facilities in Rural India”, they state, “Quality of care in FP reinforces the client’s rights to

information, choice, and the quality of interaction with the provider.” In the article a study was

conducted on the women of India who were undergoing contraceptive procedures. Many of the

women were not given enough information or quality of care as it says in the quote, which

further takes away their patient rights. Zeleke states, “FP is a human right and is crucial to

women’s empowerment, reduce poverty, raise female productivity, lower fertility, and improve

child survival and maternal health”, in the article, Utilization of Long-Acting Contraceptive

Methods and Associated Factors among Female Health Care Providers in East Gojjam Zone,

Northwest Ethiopia, in 2018”. Women have the right to choose their own contraceptives and take

them when they want instead of being forced. Both articles are reliable sources that provide

informational context about women’s rights and contraceptives in different countries to people

researching information on how geographical areas can affect contraceptive use or to women in

different countries looking for information about contraceptives.

One disagreement I did find between two sources where health and safety risks. The first

source only talks about health and safety when it comes to STDs, HIV, and unplanned pregnancy

but it doesn’t mention the side effects contraception that can harm the body. In the article about

contraception written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they state, “Consistent

and correct use of the male latex condom reduces the risk for HIV infection and other STDs,
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including chlamydial infection, gonococcal infection, and trichomoniasis.” However

contraception use may not always be beneficial to prevent infections in the body. A Sussex

woman had developed a tumor in her liver from oestrogen in birth control that left her unable to

have children. The woman had mentioned in the article, “Contraceptive pill leaves Sussex

woman with six-inch tumour”, "They thought I had cancer and I had to live with that for about

two weeks - but luckily it wasn't cancerous. It was hormonal caused by the pill. I had too much

oestrogen in my body which was causing the tumour." Although both articles mention diseases

and how contraception can affect them one has a positive connotation while the other is negative.

Both sources provide informational context to audiences who may be looking for information

about the risks of contraception. The sources are also reliable because they were written within

the last year.

Based on the research I have found so far I know I need to dig deeper on finding more

information on different forms of contraception and the risks. I did find valuable information on

how contraception use is affected by different geographical locations such as India and

Northwest Ethiopia. However I do feel like I could possibly find more information on how these

factors affect their decisions on contraceptives. I also believe I found enough history or

background information on the topic of contraception but I could go more in depth with my

writing on how the history may have shaped the use by women.

Works Cited

Bewket Zeleke, Liknaw, et al. “Utilization of Long-Acting Contraceptive Methods and

Associated Factors among Female Health Care Providers in East Gojjam Zone,
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Northwest Ethiopia, in 2018.” BioMed Research International, Nov. 2019, pp. 1–7.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.1155/2019/5850629.

Mozumdar, Arupendra, et al. “Choice of Contraceptive Methods in Public and Private Facilities

in Rural India.” BMC Health Services Research, vol. 19, no. 1, June 2019, p. 421.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4249-0.

Papadima, Maria. “Contraception: A History , by Robert Jütte.” Psychology & Sexuality, vol. 3,

no. 2, May 2012, pp. 181–183. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/19419899.2011.590628.

“Contraception.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 1 Nov. 2019, www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/index.htm.

“Contraceptive Pill Leaves Sussex Woman with Six-Inch Tumour.” Crawley Observer (Crawley,

England), 2019. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgin&AN=edsgcl.604514087&site=

eds-live.