Introduction
Contraception as a method of population control has elicited mixed reactions from different quotas of the society. A section of religious conservatives still hold onto it that abstinence and not contraception should be the only approach to population control. On the opposing side, modernists believe that contraception allows is not only effective but also people freedom to reproduce when they wish. Canada is among the few countries on the globe where contraception has been implemented as a legal approach towards population control. In Canada, legalization of contraception was not solely done to curb population explosion but also as a mitigation measure towards sustaining the reproductive health of Canadian women. Therefore as expected, contraception has helped eradicate risky and unsafe abortions in Canada, improved the health of sexually reproductive Canadian women and largely boosted the participation of Canadian women in economic development of the country (Black and Gail 43).
1. Identify and describe the health achievement (Legalization of Contraception in Canada)
Contraception in Canada was not solely legalized as a population control strategy but also in line with the female reproductive health. Before legalization, abortion, just like contraception were punishable by law in Canada. Despite the government’s stance against the two vices in society, rogue medical practitioners still helped Canadian women procure dangerous abortions that left scores of them dead or unable to conceive again. This was because, besides abstinence, which seemed quite a challenge to most Canadian women, any other family planning method was illegal (Mandel 67). Similarly, records on female reproductive health indicated an increase in the reported incidences of severe menstrual cycle disorders. According to the medical reports, women with severe menstrual cycle disorders suffered the risk of stillbirths, premature births or even miscarriages in severe cases.
Legalization of contraception was thus intentionally authorized to help women who could not abstain sexual activities without fear of getting pregnant. The legalization of contraception, therefore, meant that women were able to control their pregnancies and did not necessarily have to procure abortions that were often as a result of either unplanned for or unintended pregnancies. Contraception also meant that women, whose medical histories pointed towards further complications at childbirth or during gestation, could easily avoid pregnancy and thus stay safe of such medical complications.
Contraception in Canada had been in practice since the beginning of time with available information indicating that condoms which were invented in Egypt in 3000BCE were extensively used in Canada to prevent pregnancy. However, in 1892, the federal law upheld the Criminal Code which made it illegal for anyone to sell or advertise contraceptives within the territorial boundaries of Canada. As a result, therefore, women resorted to less effective and unsafe contraception methods such as sponges soaked in soap suds and even douches made from a mixture of honey and crocodile dung. During this period, a huge section of the reproductive women in Canada suffered physical and mental pressures due to annual pregnancies. Infant mortality rates were also on the rise since newborns did not receive sufficient care as the next baby was always on the way (Simon 56).
2. Describe the history of the achievement: when was the need to address the related health issue first identified? Who were the key people and what were the key processes and milestones involved in laying the groundwork for the achievement?
The move to have contraception legalized was started in 1932 by Elizabeth Bagshaw, a leading Canadian first female doctor, who argued that women should be accorded the right to choose when to be pregnant. Bagshaw established the first family planning clinic in Hamilton, Ontario, amidst extensive criticism and ridicule from religious groups and even fellow medical practitioners. Nevertheless, Bagshaw’s efforts were rewarded in 1935 when Alvin Ratz Kaufman established the Parents’ Information Bureau which was involved in the extensive dissemination of family planning education to the public. When it seemed that the government would not relent on its executive orders, Mr. Kaufman opted to test Canada’s laws in court and subsequently mounted significant defense towards legalization of contraception.
3. Describe the success of the achievement. Since the implementation how was it impacted population health? Has implementation been successful, why or why not?
Legalization of contraception has been lauded as a big success both on economic fronts as well as in the health sector. For instance, since the adjustments on the Criminal Code, the overall government expenditure on maternal health and infant upkeep has drastically gone down thus leaving the national treasury with sufficient funds to supplement other government projects in the country. Similarly, due to the implementation of population control methods, Canada can effectively provide the basic and social amenities for all its citizens thereby improving their living standards. However, much success has been realized in the health sector.
Since the legalization of contraception, the number of women dying from unsafe abortions can be counted. It, therefore, points out clearly that a large percentage of unsafe abortions in Canada were as a result of women getting pregnant due to lack of preventive mechanism. Canada has also been ranked as one of the few countries in the world where the population figures for both men and women almost matches. Contraception has greatly improved the health of sexually reproductive women, allowing them freedom to plan their families and thus leaving them as equally productive economically as men. Freedom to choose when to get pregnant also means that women in Canada have freedom to totally avoid pregnancy in the event that it might be detrimental to their health (Mandel 78). In fact, besides the United States of America, Canada was among the first countries of the world to successfully have a baby fertilized and born of a surrogate mother to help a woman with reproductive health issues get a child.
4. Critically summarize the essay by answering the question has its positive impact been long-lasting and universal? Is there room for improvement?
Contraception, whenever implemented, is not only done as a population control method but rather serves so many health reasons. The issue of whether human beings should have the ability to control when to bring forth new life has been a contagious topic in society. Most of the religious organizations hold onto the belief that abortion and contraception should be forever illegalized since they allow human beings to have power over life, which ought to be a reserve of the almighty God alone. Contraception is still illegal in most Muslim and Arabic countries (Miedema 76). Similarly, the issue remains contagious amongst the Catholic faith followers, with the church insisting that it is only God who has power over life and thus going ahead to discourage its supporters against using contraceptives.
Taking Canada as a case example, it is has been proven beyond doubt that contraception can help reshape the society. Were it not for the efforts of a few enlightened individuals in society, perhaps Canada would be struggling to sustain a huge population. Maybe, the economic productivity of women in Canada would never match that of women due to the physical and even emotional suffering that comes with uncontrolled pregnancies. Cases of women dying from unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted infections and even reproductive health complications would perhaps still be on the increase in Canada. Hence, what seemed like a revolutionary movement by Bagshaw in 1960 has turned out to be a long lasting solution to most problems affecting women reproductive health in Canada. Henceforth, there is a need for more public sensitization especially among the antagonistic groups to enlighten them over the positives of contraception.
Works Cited
Black, Naomi, and Gail C. Brandt. Feminist Politics on the Farm: Rural Catholic Women in Southern Quebec and Southwestern France. Montreal [u.a.: McGill-Queen's Univ. Press, 2010. Print.
Mandel, Michael. The Charter of Rights and the Legalization of Politics in Canada. Toronto: Wall & Thompson, 2012. Print.
Miedema, Gary R. For Canada's Sake: Public Religion, Centennial Celebrations, the Re-Making of Canada in the 1960s. Montréal [Que.: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2011. Print.
Simon, Rita J. A Comparative Perspective on Major Social Problems. Lanham (Md.: Lexington Books, 2011. Print.
