


Over millennia, humans have experienced many profound changes. Per Norwich University, the most impactful historical developments include: the discovery and harnessing of fire; language; the development of tools and metallurgy; the transition from hunter/gatherer to agricultural communities; discovery of mathematics, astronomy and the calendar; the scientific revolution; the industrial revolution; and the digital revolution.
Today, I’d like to investigate another major disruptor: contraception (or birth control).
At first glance, contraception might seem insignificant and mundane. However, I contend its impact has been far greater than generally considered, largely because many of its effects have yet to play out, and therefore can’t be appreciated.
And as with all societal revolutions (i.e. scientific, industrial, digital), many consequences are unintended and undesirable.
For generations, a desire existed to relieve women of the burden of unwanted pregnancies. Such relief was considered a liberation. Additionally, parents wanted their children spaced. And, in some rare instances, pregnancy presented a health risk to the woman. Birth control seemed the obvious answer.
Consider these facts and this timeline:
• In 1961, the UK’s Minister of Health announced that birth control pills could be prescribed on the National Health Service (NHS).
• In 1965, the Supreme Court, in Griswold v. Connecticut, declared a “right to marital privacy,” legalizing contraception.
• In 1973 gave us Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion nationwide.
• In 1980, China adopted its one-child policy, initially as a “family planning” program, quickly followed by millions of force abortions and untold sterilizations.
• In 2024, Coloradans voted for legalized abortions, up until the natural delivery date and potentially paid for by the taxpayers.
Now, let’s discuss how this contraceptive mindset was formed.
Naturally, after widespread contraception use, society’s outlook on pregnancy evolved profoundly. Before contraception, pregnancy resulting from sex was not a surprise. Even if pregnancy wasn’t sought, it generally was welcomed (of course certainly not always). But with a contracepting mindset, an “unplanned” pregnancy became to be considered an unfair burden.
Consequently, contracepting people figured that if they weren’t “trying” to get pregnant, but did, it wasn’t their fault, and they were justified in fixing the problem.
Abortion was that fix. A seemingly natural conclusion, even if illogical.
For those not convinced that abortion serves as contraception, listen to Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, from Planned Parenthood v. Casey, wherein he suggests for us to appreciate how indispensable legal abortion is, we should, “face the fact that for two decades of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships …in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.”
More on the contracepting mindset: With birth control in common use, and pregnancy no longer an implicit risk, sex took on more of a recreational quality. Society began telling women they should be as interested in sex as are men. One outcome was that women, who wouldn’t otherwise choose to have sex, now found themselves competing with women who would. This all led to a distinct and observable decline in sexual mores and an explosion of extra and pre-marital relations, as well as teenage sex.
Not surprising, and coincident with the UK’s 1961 birth control act, according CamPop, the share of UK births outside of marriage increased continuously from 6% in 1961, to more than 50% in 2022.
Today we find ourselves with a pre-marital sex epidemic. Every single day, in the U.S., nearly 10,000 teenagers are diagnosed with an STI. And each year, 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, ninety percent of them caused by HPV.
The CDC estimates that up to 64% of teen and preteen girls may be infected with HPV.
Here’s another unintended consequence: Over 20 countries now face population collapse due to insufficient birth rates, with Taiwan and South Korea suffering the worst.
There’s an old saying that sex leads to diapers. If we deny that fact, we’re ignoring reality and risking all that comes with doing so.
The main point here is that we are all psychologically formed by interactions with our society. We’d like to think that we form our own worldview. It’s just not true.
And as a society, we need to be careful about what policies we adopt. For we never know where they may lead.
Charlie Danaher is a 33-year Boulder County resident, a mechanical engineer, a Catholic, a father of five children and a frequent contributor to local publications on topics of freedom, faith and other social topics.