Contraceptive Policy and Ethics: Illustrations From American History

Abstract

While the technology of long-term contraceptives is relatively new, many of the ethical and policy dilemmas surrounding their use are not. The history of the birth control movement in this country over the past 125 years provides clear examples of the tensions that have always existed between empowering women to control their fertility and promoting limitations on fertility for the disadvantaged. While this is not an exhaustive survey, several important developments in the history of the American birth control movement have been chosen to illustrate these tensions.