Birth control encompasses methods used in the prevention of pregnancy. Examples of birth control methods among women include; the use of IUDs, female condoms and birth control pills. As a concept, birth control and its subsequent decisions is affected by both political, social and socio-cultural factors. These factors and their impacts when it comes to approaching the topic of birth control affect both the patients and the care providers. For instance, from a political point of view, there are countries that have constituted laws that govern the use of birth control as an approach for controlling population. In countries where there are restrictions to the number of children a couple may have, the use of birth control is high and perceptions regarding birth control may be received positively (Alexander, 2013). On the other hand, as Alexander (2013) acknowledges the social and cultural environment is an equally powerful determinant of birth control. For instance, according to Najafi-Sharjabad et al. (2013), asserts, in some societies, majorly Asian and African, the use of birth control among women may be limited due to cultural and religious beliefs that support bearing of many children, either as a social security, abidance with cultural/ religious norms or even as a sign of societal health and fertility. As such, the use of birth control among women as well as the surrounding perceptions vary from one society or ethnicity to the other as dictated by the immediate political, social and cultural environments.
According to Purnell (2014), healthcare providers are obliged to provide care that is congruent with the unique belief structure and expectations of the patient. However, sometimes the care provider’s belief structure and the existing legislative policies, affect the degree to which the healthcare provider might be willing to provide care to women in connection to birth control. As Alexander (2013) assert, it might be hard for a healthcare provider is objected to the idea of birth control to provide satisfactory care to a woman who wishes to have birth control. This may be from a religious ground or even personal philosophy. On the other hand, healthcare providers may have certain preferences for birth control approaches and methods. Arguably, various care providers might view some approaches as misaligned with their religious or personal beliefs, especially if a certain patient-preferred approach may translate or equate to abortion or termination of life. Believably, birth control among women is an aspect that presents different facets from both the client’s and care-provider’s dimensions, hence underscoring the need for a deeper insight into the issue so as to resolve the dilemma that comes with it.
References
Alexander, L. L. (2013). New dimensions in women's health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Najafi-Sharjabad, F., Yahya, S. Z. S., Rahman, H. A., Hanafiah, M., & Manaf, R. A. (2013). Barriers of modern contraceptive practices among Asian women: A mini literature review. Global Journal of health science, 5(5), 181.
Purnell, L. D. (2014). Guide to culturally competent health care. FA Davis.
