What Are the Methods of Birth Control in Other Countries?

Citizens of the USA know which birth control methods are available. Condoms are readily available, hormonal birth control is common, and people are exposed to these methods every single day. Not all countries are quite as informed as Americans. In fact, on some places on the globe, those who have heard the term "contraceptives" are in the minority. Birth control varies from country to country.

Types

• The various options of birth control include sterilization, abortion, hormonal methods like the IUD, pill, or patch, and barrier methods like a diaphragm or condom. The Chinese tend to use more long term methods. About 50 percent use intrauterine devices and 35 percent use male or female sterilization. Only about 10 percent use condoms and oral contraceptives, according to an article by Xiao B and Wang M called "Birth Control Techniques in China."

Religion

• Religion plays a large part in the widespread use of birth control in many countries. Catholics, for one, believe in natural family planning without the use of contraceptives. One country, Indonesia, worked with the Muslim religion to control the population, according to Rahul Singh who wrote the article "Muslim Countries Show the Way in Birth Control." In the 1980's the government convinced religious leaders to approve family planning methods. In fact, the fatwa approved the IUD as an acceptable method of birth control. Since then, the population growth continues at a manageable rate.

Geography

• Developed countries not only have more knowledge and information about birth control methods, but the methods are also more readily available. It is common for people living in Third World countries to never use contraceptives. If they do have access, to contraceptives, they are typically outdated versions that often have adverse side effects, according to "Women in the Third World: Gender Issues in Rural and Urban areas," by Lynne Brydon and Sylvia H. Chant.

Alternatives

• Many people view birth control as the methods that prevent pregnancies. Other, less developed countries, view abortion as another form of birth control because it prevents birth, not pregnancy. In countries like Mexico and Africa, abortions are extremely common. Mexico sees over one million abortions per year, while 45 percent of African women will need hospitalization sometime in their life for abortion complications, say Brydon and Chant.

Government Involvement

• Governments often get involved when the population growth expands too quickly. The most commonly known country with a child mandate is China. Couples are allowed one child. In the 1980's, Singapore gave housing, education, and job priority to families with fewer than two children, according to the same book by Brydon and Chant. Around that time, Thailand gave a piglet to women who followed their recommended spacing time for children.