But this situation changed in the period between the 1700s to the 1800s when death rates dropped due to improved standards of living and control over major disease brought about by discoveries and inventions in medicine (vaccines and antibiotics), agriculture and public health (water and sanitation). These advancements spread throughout the world as a result of which population began soaring rapidly. British economist Thomas Robert Malthus theorized in the late 1700s that human population tends to increase beyond the limit of the earth’s ability to support it, and warned that unless there was a slowing of growth rate the world will soon become overpopulated. Overpopulation is defined as a situation in which the earth is populated with more people than can live on it properly, namely, enjoying a reasonable standard of living, happiness, comfort and good health. Human population increased from 1 billion in 1810 to 2 billion in 1930 and 5.8 billion in 1996. The United Nations Population Fund expects it to reach 10 billion by the year 2025. Recent years have witnessed a steady increase in world poverty, damage to environment and depletion of natural resources. Expert and general consensus lay the blame for this firmly at overpopulation, which they identify as the greatest single threat to the future of mankind as it is causing alarming destruction to the Earth’s vital life support systems. Given the severity of the situation, population control has emerged as the greatest challenge to mankind, one that has to be solved in a hurry. Experts recommend the ‘replacement method’ whereby the birth rate is reduced to ‘replacement level’ (enough people are born to replace those who die) that they put at 2.1 children per woman. The overall net result is called ‘zero population growth’ (ZPG). Although in some advanced nations like the U.S and some Western European countries the birth rate has fallen to below replacement level, the major part of the world (notably Asia, Africa and Latin America) have women averaging 7 to 8 children, the prime examples being China, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Birth Control, or Planned Parenthood or Family Planning are terms used to include all methods to regulate or prevent birth of children. It was Malthus who first put forward the concept of birth control; in his ‘Essay on the Principle of Population’ in 1798, he recommended that couples should postpone marriage in order to reduce births. The birth control movement took off since the 1800s as an increasing number of people started working to promote birth control in Europe and the U.S. Today, the birth control movement has spread to all parts of the world; those countries have themselves realized its importance and additional stress, encouragement and monetary help is provided by the United Nations to help them in this vital endeavor. Different birth control methods (called contraceptives) are in existence. They are surgical sterilization (vasectomy for males and laparoscopic sterilization for women), hormones drugs (oral birth control pills and contraceptive implants), Intrauterine devices (IUD’s), condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps and spermicide. Natural family planning methods such as premature withdrawal method (during sex) and the rhythm method are less popular. Abortion (outlawed in many countries) is another method that is used very infrequently, mostly when the mother’s life is perceived to be in danger. Japan was the first country to tackle population control on a national footing in 1948, followed by the two most populous countries of the world (China and India) in the 1950s. Today, about 80 countries have national birth control campaigns in place. It is hoped that their example will be copied by other nations in their own interest. The world should realize that individual choice, human rights and collective responsibility are the main factors that can control population. Teachers, parents, politicians, community forums and other stakeholders should address this issue urgently and persistently, recognizing it for what it is – the stiffest challenge to the survival of human beings on our planet.
People who use birth control can generally be categorized into two different types. There are the ones that are using because they don't want a child at the moment for a variety of reasons, and the ones that don't want children at all. Permanent birth control options are available for the latter group of people, but the former group has a significantly wider range of methods to choose from. Among these methods would be the ever-popular use of the birth control pill, though this poses a mild problem should the women ever want to actually have children.
In essence, ?the pill? works by altering hormone levels in the woman's body to make it believe that the woman is already pregnant. This has the effect of interrupting the typical menstrual cycle and preventing the ovaries from releasing the egg cell, which in turn prevents conception. There are a few side effects that can be linked to these hormonal alterations, but in general, the consensus is that they work fine. However, what exactly happens to the body once a woman stops using birth control pills? Most women are aware of what ?the pill? does and have some vague notion of how it works, but generally lack any concrete idea of what happens when they stop taking it.
Even if a woman wants to have children and has quit from the pill, there are still a few things that need to be checked and kept in mind. First and foremost, using pills really changes a woman's hormonal make-up. These hormonal changes delay the completion of the woman's ovulation cycle. Each pill taken increases the duration of the delay, naturally. The body is basically forced to adjust by the effect of synthetic hormones that the pills trigger, putting off the risk of pregnancy by fooling the body into believing it already is pregnant. If a woman stops taking the pill, the body will need time to readjust to the situation and, basically, pick the ovulation cycle up where it left off. After pregnancy, hormone levels drop off and the body returns to normal, with the same principle applying when a woman stops using birth control.
Usually, it takes about three months for the body to get back to its natural rhythm and fully recover from the pills. However, there are some cases where this does not happen and the body remains, for lack of a better word, sterile. Some companies have developed hormonal treatments to correct this, which are meant to kick start the process of ovulation that contraceptive pills have stalled. In this case, it really boils down to little more than hormone levels and knowing which hormones to tweak (and how much) to achieve the desired effect in the body. It should be noted, though, that these hormone medications do not always work.
In cases where it has taken more than three months for the body to get back to normal hormone production, it may be prudent to consult a medical professional. While considered unlikely, it is possible that long-term use of birth control pills can disrupt the natural hormone-production process for women, even after the drug is no longer used. As stated, there are hormonal pharmaceuticals that can help the body start correcting this problem, but these should only be taken if advised by a doctor.
Both Gabriel Rise & Harvey D. Ong are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gabriel Rise has sinced written about articles on various topics from Birth Control, Bankruptcy Law and Research and Science. Gabriel Rise has been experiencing in for several years. Now she i. Gabriel Rise's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
Harvey D. Ong has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening, Health and Birth Control. Harvey Ong is currently employed as a researcher for an online media company,currentlywriting about pharmaceutical products and herbal remedies. He is also an amateur paleontologist and has a collection of various animal toxins, for research reasons.Choos. Harvey D. Ong's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.