Birth Control's Role in Global Population Growth

Jump To Section

• Birth Control and Women's Prosperity
• Population Growth and Socioeconomic Tensions
• Access to Family Planning
• Successful Interventions in Fertility Reduction
• Cost-Effectiveness of Birth Control
• Full Transcript

Birth Control and Women's Prosperity

Dr. Philip Darney, MD, highlights the significant role of birth control in enhancing women's prosperity worldwide. By providing effective and affordable contraception, women can plan their families better, leading to improved health outcomes and economic opportunities. Birth control reduces the burden on healthcare systems by preventing unplanned pregnancies, allowing women to pursue education and careers.

Population Growth and Socioeconomic Tensions

Dr. Anton Titov, MD, discusses the challenges posed by population growth, particularly in economically underdeveloped regions. With the global population nearing 7 billion, the disparity between developed and developing countries creates socioeconomic tensions. High population growth in less developed areas contrasts with declining populations in industrialized nations, leading to skill mismatches in the global market.

Access to Family Planning

Dr. Philip Darney, MD, emphasizes the importance of access to family planning services. Many women worldwide express a desire for fewer children than they currently have, often due to limited access to contraception and safe abortion. By providing these services, women can make informed choices about their reproductive health, leading to a natural decline in population growth.

Successful Interventions in Fertility Reduction

Dr. Darney points to successful interventions in countries like Bangladesh and Mexico, where fertility rates have declined despite economic and political challenges. These interventions include family planning, safe abortion, and early prenatal care. Such measures have proven effective in reducing maternal mortality and improving overall health outcomes.

Cost-Effectiveness of Birth Control

Dr. Anton Titov, MD, and Dr. Philip Darney, MD, agree on the cost-effectiveness of birth control as a method to improve maternal and child health globally. Compared to other government expenditures, investing in family planning and reproductive health services offers significant returns in terms of health and economic benefits. These interventions are inexpensive yet powerful tools for enhancing global health and prosperity.

Full Transcript

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Do women around the world want to have fewer babies than they actually have? What does effective and cheap birth control mean for the prosperity of women?

Dr. Philip Darney, MD: Birth control for population control is an effective method to improve the lives of women in many countries. It's an important social and health topic. A healthy pregnancy is a planned pregnancy. Human population control methods are effective in improving standards of living. Birth control is also not expensive and reduces the burden on healthcare systems that unplanned pregnancies can create.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: There are 7 billion people on the planet today, almost triple the number about sixty years ago. Most of the population growth will come from the countries that are least economically developed. This growth, combined with a decline in population in the industrialized world, creates a lot of social and socioeconomic tensions. The problem is that the skills required in the modern market are very high-level skills, which people from the most populous countries often do not have.

In traditional societies, having more children serves as a bit of insurance for older age for the parents. Some children will tend the farm or do some family business. Even if only one of several children "makes it," that child would take care of the entire family. So, population growth and control are very difficult subjects to approach.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Can the population be controlled around the world? Is it worth doing so?

Dr. Philip Darney, MD: As you point out, this is a complicated issue—economically, politically, and socially. It has traditional and religious implications. The most direct answer to your question is: Yes, and the mechanism is simple. When we ask women all around the world how many children they want to have, they tell us they want fewer children than they actually do have. Why is that? They didn't have access to family planning.

In healthcare systems worldwide, the number of children women have is far higher than they want. This is true even in sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of children desired is higher than in the rest of the world. Women say: I want to have fewer children than I'm likely to have. Please give me contraception and safe abortion.

Sometimes, if we simply gave all women the opportunity to have as many children as they want, they would have many fewer than they do. Population growth would gradually decline. We see those declines in societies where there hasn't been much economic growth and where there's been political chaos for much of the past 20 years. Great examples are countries like Bangladesh and Nepal. In Mexico, fertility rates have declined dramatically.

The interventions that make this possible for women and families are clear. A report from the Global Health Policy Summit in 2012 showed that seven simple interventions decreased maternal mortality around the world dramatically. Those interventions were family planning, safe abortion, and early prenatal care. They are very inexpensive compared to other ways governments spend money. That's a long answer, but it's a complicated question. However, I think the answers aren't as complex as you might think.

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Is birth control a cheap method to improve maternal and child health around the world? Does population growth control make sense?