Edited by a noted scholar of health and sexuality, Encyclopedia of Birth Control is a complete report on the historical development and efficacy of contraceptive practices around the world, both past and present. Without contraception, a healthy, sexually active woman will give birth to about 15 children and over her life span, spend most of her reproductive years either pregnant or nursing a newborn infant. So controlling fertility has preoccupied women—and often their husbands—since at least 1000 B.C. In this comprehensive reference, readers can explore the history of birth control from a variety of perspectives: anthropological, biological, economic, feminist, medical, political, and psychological. From wet nurses to chastity belts, from animal-dung contraceptives to the Dalkon Shield, readers will learn how women have attempted birth control, contraception, and abortion throughout history and throughout the world. Readers will also discover why opposition to birth control was so fierce early in the 20th century that many American women and men were jailed for disseminating information on avoiding pregnancy, and why family planning remains hotly controversial almost a century later.

Presents cross-referenced, alphabetically arranged entries on topics related to birth control, including advocates and inventors, legal issues and cases, methods, countries, medical issues, organizations, religion, the reproductive system, research, and special populations.

Originally published in 1916 by the Eugenics Publishing Company of New York, this volume addresses the ethical, moral, and philosophical concepts of Eugenics and birth control, advocating "fewer and better babies."

Written by a professor and researcher in obstetrics and gynecology and a women's health writer, THE BIRTH CONTROL BOOK offers frank advice for every woman who wants to take control of her reproductive health. Meticulously researched and illustrated with helpful charts and diagrams, THE BIRTH CONTROL BOOK can help you make a truly informed decision. Here is guidance on which alternatives are the safest...How to determine which choices fit your needs at your age...How your fertility may be affected by your chosen method...Which products protect you from sexually transmitted diseases...How to ask your doctor questions...What you should know if you have on or several partners...The reversibility of each method...And much more. With the latest information on the female condom, natural methods, the mini-pill, the IUD, Norplant 2, the cervical cap, the "morning after" pill, and more, THE BIRTH CONTROL BOOK is the contraception encyclopedia for the '90s--one no sexually active woman will want to be without.

Se estudian las consecuencias sanitarias de los diferentes patrones reproductivos en la salud de la mujer y de los niños. Tambien se evaluan el riesgo y los beneficios de los diferentes metodos anticonceptivos, aunque algunos de los datos en los que se basa son de paises desarrollados, el nucleo central del informe son los paises en desarrollo.

Focusing primarily on the late-20th-century US, this encyclopedia further develops information in existing reference works on birth control, abortion, and women's rights. Multiparagraph to multipage articles consider not only laws, court cases, political attitudes, technological advances, and prominent activists and organizations, but also experiences of various racial, ethnic, age, class, ability, and religious groups concerning issues related to reproduction. A substantial introduction provides an overview of current ethical, legal, and political issues.