Birth control has long been a contentious issue in the US. Indeed, despite decades of battles by advocates like Margaret Sanger to disseminate information, only in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) did the Supreme Court bar state laws censoring contraceptive advice. In the early twenty-first century nonetheless, the issues surrounding contraception—sexual education, condom distribution, abortion, religion—remain volatile. Religious organizations, most notably the Christian Right and the Roman Catholic Church, represent the dominant conservative voices in the debate over contraception. Their fundamentalist opposition to premarital sex, abortion and contraception, in any form, promotes abstinence (no sex at all) as the only acceptable form of birth control. Anything else represents a moral transgression.

Though most people recognize that abstinence is, indeed, the best way to avoid pregnancy and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), contraception has numerous advocates, like Planned Parenthood. In fact, many Americans believe that premarital sex has become an inevitable reality in our society Accordingly they have opted to work for the good of young people with the understanding that many of them have sex (often with more than one partner) prior to getting married. In this way more liberal Americans accuse pro-abstinence contingents of being out of touch with the nation’s youth. To minimize unplanned pregnancies and STDs they recommend far-reaching educational programs which inform young people about the dangers of unprotected sex. Some also support the distribution of free condoms in public schools.

Condoms are among the most widely used contraceptives, in part, because they also protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The birth-control pill is considered the most effective safeguard against pregnancy; moreover, it operates internally and does not interfere with the sexual act as the condom does. Its introduction in the 1960s, in fact, became a foundation for an American sexual revolution. Yet, the pill has potential sideeffects and no effect on preventing the transmittal of STDs like AIDS. Alternatives like intra-uterine devices (IUDs) became controversial, with claims about devastating effects of the 1970s Dalkon shield, against which over 150,000 American women filed claims for $2.5 billion in damages (although critics accused the company and US agencies of dumping these IUDs into planning programs abroad). Diaphragms, on the whole, have been less common in the US than in other countries worldwide.

Purchasing condoms in stores is not only expensive, but also an embarrassing experience for many teenagers (and hence a staple of teenage movies). Distributing free condoms promotes safe sex and ensures that the contraceptives reach the people who need them most, ultimately reducing both births and abortions. Conservatives, however, contend that this encourages sexual activity among people whom, they believe, should not be having intercourse in the first place.

Most Americans, however, seem not to espouse beliefs as radical as these. While not everyone endorses the condom distribution plan, most appreciate the virtues of contraception. Condoms and pills are advertised on television, and doctors have prescribed the pill and other solutions to countless women.