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Definition: birth control from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

The use of contraceptives prevent pregnancy. It is part of the general practice of family planning.


Birth Control

From Encyclopedia of Motherhood
Birth control encompasses a variety of methods designed to prevent pregnancy. Historical records dating back to 1550 b.c.e detail attempts to control fertility, which suggests that preventing conception and controlling population has been a prevalent and continuing issue facing individuals and societies for thousands of years. However, birth control has been the subject of controversy both in ancient and in modern times. Religious leaders in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths have debated the morality of contraception. Additionally, the focus on population control in the latter part of the 20th century expands the morally and ethically charged birth control debate. Issues regarding involuntary sterilizations and state-controlled reproduction, such as China's one-child policy that began in 1979, continue to be matters of public concern. A variety of methods are currently employed to prevent conception. These methods range from the natural to the pharmaceutical; each method varies in…
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Full text Article Birth Control

From Encyclopedia of Women's Health
Contraception is defined as the use of medications, devices, surgery, or sexual timing or practices to voluntarily avoid unintended pregnancy and to space childbirth. Birth control, family planning, fertility control, pregnancy prevention, and planned parenthood are other terms used for…
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Full text Article Birth Control

From New Harvard Guide to Women's Health, The
Birth Control
In the best possible world, there would be a method of birth control that is not only safe and effective but also easily obtainable, convenient, unobtrusive, reversible, and affordable. Despite years of effort, no such ideal contraceptive has as yet been devised. A wide variety of methods are…
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Full text Article Contraception

From The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality
Four contraceptive methods: (top to...
birth control contraception family planning safe sex Contraception—the devices and techniques used to prevent pregnancy—has broad social significance in the shaping of attitudes toward fertility, sexual responsibility, and women's health. While many methods of contraception are available, method…
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Full text Article Contraception

From Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine
Birth rates vary worldwide and are related to economic and social factors as well as contraceptive choice. In parts of Africa the birth rate is high (e.g. in Niger, 48.9 births per 1000 women and a fertility rate of 6.83 children born per woman). In Europe it is dramatically lower (in Germany 8.04…
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Full text Article Contraception

From Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy Through Adolescence
SOURCE: 
Centers for Disease Control and...
Contraception (birth control) prevents pregnancy by interfering with the normal process of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. Different types of birth control exist; these act at different points in the process. Every month, a woman's body begins the process that can potentially lead to…
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Full text Article Contraception

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Contraception education concept with oral...
Contraception, or birth control, is the use of a method, device, or medication to prevent pregnancy by interfering with ovulation, fertilization, and/or implantation. The purpose of contraception is to allow individuals to engage in sexual intercourse without it resulting in pregnancy. There are…
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Full text Article CONTRACEPTION

From Epilepsy A to Z: A Concise Encyclopedia
Nearly 40% of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and the potential impact of the inactivation of contraception involves two people: the mother and the infant (see Pregnancy ) 1 . Several surveys suggest that a large percentage of healthcare professionals have limited knowledge about…
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Full text Article Contraception

From Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Effectiveness of contraceptives: Percentage of...
Contraception (birth control) prevents pregnancy by interfering with the normal processes of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. There are different kinds of birth control that act at different points in the process. Every month, the body of a woman of childbearing age begins the process…
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Full text Article Contraception

From Black's Medical Dictionary, 43rd Edition
A means of avoiding pregnancy despite sexual activity. There is no ideal contraceptive, and the choice of method depends on balancing considerations of safety, effectiveness and acceptability. The best choice for any couple will depend on their ages and personal circumstances and may well vary with…
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Full text Article contraception

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Birth control by prevention of conception or impregnation. The most common method is sterilization . The most effective temporary methods are nearly 99% effective if used consistently and correctly. Many methods carry health risks; barrier devices and avoidance of intercourse during the most fertile…
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