Part 11 (1/2)
The objection is frequently heard that the general knowledge of scientific methods of contraception would lead to increased illicit relations among unmarried persons, particularly among the young people.
This argument is apparently based upon the belief, or fear, that the fear of conception is the only thing which prevents many persons from indulging in illicit relations. It a.s.sumes that a large portion of our womankind are chaste simply because of fear of pregnancy; and that this fear once removed these women would at once plunge into such relations.
In other words, it a.s.sumes that mentally and in spirit these women are already unchaste, but are restrained from physical unchast.i.ty by reason of the fear of conception.
The answer of the advocates of Birth Control takes direct issue with the above contention. On the contrary, it a.s.serts that the chast.i.ty of our women is the result of their general training, education, heredity, observance of the accepted customs and standards of their community, religious and moral training, etc. The woman who is chaste simply through fear, usually manages to allay that fear in one way or another, often by mistaken methods which work great harm to the woman and the community in general. The general knowledge of scientific contraceptive methods might result in such women manifesting their inclinations and desires in a ”safer” manner, but this ”safety” would not consist of protection against conception (for that they already think they have) but rather of a protection against the dangers of abortion and similar evil practices.
Some of the writers go further in this matter, as for instance Dr.
Robinson, who says: ”If some women are bound to have illicit relations, is it not better that they should know the use of scientific preventives than that they should become pregnant, disgracing and ostracising themselves, and their families; or that they should subject themselves to the degradation and risks of an abortion; or failing this, take carbolic acid or b.i.+.c.hloride, jump into the river, or throw themselves under the wheels of a running train?”
The objection to Birth Control on the ground that it would increase illicit relations among men and women by means of removing the fear of physical consequences, seems to many careful thinkers to be akin to the old objection (now happily pa.s.sing away) to the dissemination of the knowledge of the treatment of venereal diseases, and to the public cure of such diseases, on the ground that by so doing a part of the fear concerning illicit relations was removed, and thereby illicit relations actually encouraged. The result of this fallacious argument was the enormous spread of venereal diseases, to the great hurt of the race; and the encouragement of quacks and charlatans who fattened on the gains received from the sufferers from this cla.s.s of complaints. The argument against Birth Control on similar grounds will be seen to be equally fallacious, and capable of equally evil consequences, if the matter be fairly and carefully considered.
Illicit relations, if prevented or regulated at all by society, must be so regulated or prevented by other means than fear of conception. Such fear, though it may deter for a short time, will usually be overcome in time if the desire and temptation remain sufficiently strong. It is doubtful whether any considerable number of women remain chaste for any length of time simply by reason of fear of conception. If such fear be the only remaining deterring factor, it will usually be swept away in time under continued temptation, opportunity, and desire. Chast.i.ty and virtue must have a far more solid foundation than such fear; and experience repeatedly shows that such fear is but as s.h.i.+fting sand sought to be employed as a foundation for the structure of chast.i.ty.
There is no reason whatsoever for believing that the scientific knowledge of contraceptive methods, if generally possessed by married people under the sanction of the law and society, would result in any more cases of illicit relations than exist at the present time. It might, it is true, result in less evil consequences of such relations in some cases, as Dr. Robinson has so clearly pointed out in the above quotation; but the relations in such cases would exist in either event.
Fear of conception, like fear of infection, has never, and will never entirely prevent illicit relations between men and women; and to oppose scientific information in the one case on these grounds, is as futile as to oppose scientific treatment in the other case on the same grounds.
And when it is considered how society in general is injured by the withholding of such information or treatment, respectively, the argument in favor of such suppression of scientific truth and method is seen to be actually dangerous to society and sub-service of the public good.
I would like to add a few words concerning the question of morality in the matter of practicing scientific Birth Control. To me what I shall say in the succeeding paragraphs of this chapter have a vital bearing on the whole subject, and should be taken into serious consideration by the fair-minded and conscientious student of the subject. Here follows my thought in the matter:
In my consideration of the arguments against scientific Birth Control I am impressed with one particular thought which refuses to be silenced, but which insists upon persistently presenting itself to my consciousness. This particular thought may be expressed as follows: It is admitted by unprejudiced students of the subject that the educated and cultured portions of the civilized countries of modern times do actually practice, to some extent, in some form, manner, or degree, the limitation of offspring--no honest observer will dispute this statement.
This being so, does it not seem that the race should fairly and squarely, honestly and frankly, face this question and decide whether or not such rules of conduct are ”right” or ”wrong”--”moral” or ”immoral”--and to what extent, if any, they should be permitted or encouraged to be practiced toward the ends of individual and race happiness and betterment.
If the decision is totally against this rule of conduct, then it should be vigorously denounced, and all honest people should refrain from it.
If, on the contrary, the decision should be that this mode of conduct, or some phases of it, are justified, then, in the name of Honesty and Truth, let us turn on the full light of general information, knowledge, and instruction on the subject, under the full protection of the laws and public opinion. Why should we not throw aside the mask of cowardly hypocrisy, and stand before the world showing ourselves as just what we really are?
My thought, in essence, is that the chief ”wrong,” and ”immorality”
about the whole matter consists in our present practice of doing one thing in private, and condemning the same thing in public. There can be no excuse, to the intellectually honest person at least, for the course of tacitly holding that a certain thing is ”all right for us,” while ”all wrong for the other folks.”
IS IT INJURIOUS TO HEALTH? It is sometimes urged against Birth Control that the use of contraceptive methods is injurious to the health of women, in some cases a long list of physical and mental ills being given as possible of being caused by such methods. Opposed to this is the contention of the members of the medical profession who have arrayed themselves on the side of scientific Birth Control. The latter authorities positively contradict the a.s.sertion that women's health is injured by the practice of rational and scientific methods of Birth Control; although these authorities freely admit, in fact they CLAIM, that certain unscientific methods and practices popular among certain persons--such as the use of certain chemicals and mechanical appliances--undoubtedly have resulted in physical harm, and they strongly advise against the use of such bunglesome methods.
One of the leading medical advocates of scientific Birth Control in the United States throws down the gauntlet squarely before those of his profession, and others, who urge this objection to scientific Birth Control, in the following challenging words: ”I challenge any physician, any gynecologist, to bring forth A SINGLE AUTHENTICATED CASE in which disease or injury resulted from the use of modern methods of prevention.
I know they cannot do it.” And others in the ranks of the medical profession have made similar a.s.sertions and claims. The unprejudiced person who will consult the best medical authorities on the subject will unquestionably agree that the best medical opinion of the day holds that scientific Birth Control is not in fairness to be open to this objection.
IS BIRTH CONTROL UNNATURAL? Another favorite argument of the opponents of scientific Birth Control is the broad statement and claim that ”all voluntary attempts to limit procreation are unnatural,” and therefore wrong. This objection, while usually offered without any particular argument, explanation, or proof, must be carefully and honestly met and answered by the fair-minded advocate of Birth Control.
In the first place, it may as well be admitted that regulation, restriction, or control of the procreative functions by application of the intellect or reasoning processes IS unnatural, in the sense of not being indicated by Nature and enforced through the instinctive actions of the race. The only instinct which primitive man seems to have had in this case (and these he held in common with the lower animals) was that of free and unlimited s.e.xual intercourse, in response to his instinctive desires, with this exception (and this exception should be carefully noted), i. e.: that the male respected the instinctive disinclination to cohabit during the period in which the woman was pregnant, and often also during the period in which she nursed her infant. This instinct, unhappily for the race, the ”civilized” man has overridden until it has practically ceased to manifest its voice.
The lower animals, obeying this primitive instinct, do not manifest violation of this law of Nature. On the contrary, the female will not allow the male to approach her at such times, and will fight savagely at any attempt to violate this instinctive law of her nature. The male usually recognizes the existence of this law, and makes no attempt to violate it, but should he attempt the same he is defeated by the female as above stated. It has remained for Man alone to override and violate, and to eventually render nul and void this wise instinctive provision of Nature.
But beyond this there is no ”natural,” instinctive regulation of the s.e.xual activities of animal or man, other than the desires of the male and female. If civilized man adhered wholly to the ”natural” in this respect, he would obey the voice of instinct alone, and would show reason and intellect the door in such matters, and would also bid defiance to all legal or ecclesiastical authority when it sought to ”control” his activities along these lines. But, it is needless to say, such is not the case. Not only has the Law of the Church insisted upon certain ”control” of these matters--as witness the laws against adultery, illicit relations, incest, b.a.s.t.a.r.dy, etc.--but man, himself, has a.s.serted a greater and still greater voluntary control over the reproductive functions as he has risen in the scale of civilization and culture.
Today it is only the lowest and least cultured cla.s.ses of society who (to use the expressive but somewhat inelegant term) persist in ”breeding like pigs.” All other cla.s.ses exercise a greater or less degree of ”control” of some kind in the matter of limitation of offspring. In making this broad a.s.sertion I, of course, have in mind not only the modern methods urged by the advocates of scientific contraception, but also the ”control” and regulation observed by married persons in either total abstinence from the marital relations for a stated time, or else the abstinence from such relations during certain portions of the lunar month, the latter method (somewhat uncertain, however, in its efficacy in some cases) being apparently favored by certain ecclesiastical authorities as the ”only moral” method.
In view of the above facts, which might be enlarged and extended if necessary, it is seen that as soon as man rises above the level of the beast or savage--as soon as he begins to manifest culture and civilization--he begins to exercise a certain ”control” over the procreative FUNCTION, and in the direction of the limitation of the size of his family of offspring. The contention of the modern advocates of scientific Birth Control is that the ”new ideas” on the subject are simply a natural and inevitable evolution from the degrees of ”control”
which man has exercised since the time he emerged from savagery. The later developments are no more ”unnatural” than the earlier--nor the accepted methods and forms any more ”natural” than those which are now opposed by the more conservative elements of society.
When anyone begins to talk about things being ”natural” or ”unnatural,”