Archive:Contraception: Difference between revisions
wikademia>OckRaz No edit summary |
wikademia>OckRaz No edit summary |
||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
Birth control can refer to anything which would prevent childbirth. Methods of birth control can be classified by the stage of reproduction which is achieved before the process is brought to a halt. If a form of birth control seeks to prevent the sperm from fertilizing the egg, then it is contraceptive. If fertilization has already occurred, but the form of birth control seeks to prevent the implantation of the embryo into the uterine lining, then it is a contragestive. Just as a contraception is the avoidance of conception, contragestion is the avoidance of gestation. If implantation has already occurred, but the form of birth control seeks to end gestation by terminating the pregnancy prior to birth, then it is an abortion. | Birth control can refer to anything which would prevent childbirth. Methods of birth control can be classified by the stage of reproduction which is achieved before the process is brought to a halt. If a form of birth control seeks to prevent the sperm from fertilizing the egg, then it is contraceptive. If fertilization has already occurred, but the form of birth control seeks to prevent the implantation of the embryo into the uterine lining, then it is a contragestive. Just as a contraception is the avoidance of conception, contragestion is the avoidance of gestation. If implantation has already occurred, but the form of birth control seeks to end gestation by terminating the pregnancy prior to birth, then it is an abortion. | ||
* ''Contraception: prevents the sperm from fertilizing the egg | * ''Contraception: prevents the sperm from fertilizing the egg<ref>[http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/contraceptive]</ref> | ||
* ''Contragestion: prevents implantation after fertilization has occurred or by causing the uterine lining to shed after implantation. | * ''Contragestion: prevents implantation after fertilization has occurred or by causing the uterine lining to shed after implantation.<ref>[http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/contragestive]</ref> | ||
* ''Abortion: implantation has occurred, but pregnancy is terminated before it comes to term | * ''Abortion: implantation has occurred, but pregnancy is terminated before it comes to term<ref>[http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/abortifacient]</ref> | ||
Because the word, 'contragestive' is a medical term which is not in common usage, there is controversy about the classification of contragestive birth control. Since both 'contraception' and 'abortion' are non-technical terms which are used in everyday speech, non-surgical birth control is usually divided into either 'contraceptives' or '[[abortifacients]]'. Those who contend that pregnancy does not begin until implantation say that since abortions are terminated pregnancies, contragestives cannot cause abortions and cannot be abortifacients. They argue, therefore that contragestives are only a form of contraception. On the other hand, those who contend that pregnancy begins at [[Conception_(biology)|conception]] argue that contragestives do terminate a pregnancy, and therefore are abortifacients. | Because the word, 'contragestive' is a medical term which is not in common usage, there is controversy about the classification of contragestive birth control. Since both 'contraception' and 'abortion' are non-technical terms which are used in everyday speech, non-surgical birth control is usually divided into either 'contraceptives' or '[[abortifacients]]'. Those who contend that pregnancy does not begin until implantation say that since abortions are terminated pregnancies, contragestives cannot cause abortions and cannot be abortifacients. They argue, therefore that contragestives are only a form of contraception. On the other hand, those who contend that pregnancy begins at [[Conception_(biology)|conception]] argue that contragestives do terminate a pregnancy, and therefore are abortifacients. | ||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | |||
Revision as of 11:03, 22 May 2009
The term, 'contraception' derives from the Latin 'contra', which means 'against', and the word 'conception', which is the non-technical term for fertilization. 'Contraception' may be used to refer merely to the prevention of fertilization, but it is more commonly used to refer to the means employed to avoid fertilization. When referring to a means of prevention, it is synonymous with contraceptive birth control. Any procedure or device which would keep a sperm cell from fertilizing the egg, therefore, can be considered to be contraception.
Contrasted with Other Birth Control
Birth control can refer to anything which would prevent childbirth. Methods of birth control can be classified by the stage of reproduction which is achieved before the process is brought to a halt. If a form of birth control seeks to prevent the sperm from fertilizing the egg, then it is contraceptive. If fertilization has already occurred, but the form of birth control seeks to prevent the implantation of the embryo into the uterine lining, then it is a contragestive. Just as a contraception is the avoidance of conception, contragestion is the avoidance of gestation. If implantation has already occurred, but the form of birth control seeks to end gestation by terminating the pregnancy prior to birth, then it is an abortion.
- Contraception: prevents the sperm from fertilizing the egg[1]
- Contragestion: prevents implantation after fertilization has occurred or by causing the uterine lining to shed after implantation.[2]
- Abortion: implantation has occurred, but pregnancy is terminated before it comes to term[3]
Because the word, 'contragestive' is a medical term which is not in common usage, there is controversy about the classification of contragestive birth control. Since both 'contraception' and 'abortion' are non-technical terms which are used in everyday speech, non-surgical birth control is usually divided into either 'contraceptives' or 'abortifacients'. Those who contend that pregnancy does not begin until implantation say that since abortions are terminated pregnancies, contragestives cannot cause abortions and cannot be abortifacients. They argue, therefore that contragestives are only a form of contraception. On the other hand, those who contend that pregnancy begins at conception argue that contragestives do terminate a pregnancy, and therefore are abortifacients.
See Beginning of pregnancy controversy