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Mary Grace Lassiter

Emporia State University
UL100B Research Skills, Information Technology
Professor Gurierrez
November 7, 2021
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Source 1
AHC Media. (2021). Study: Risk Assessment for Contraceptives Is Influenced by
Cultural Biases: Contraceptive side effects ignored. Contraceptive Technology Update,
43(3), 1–3
This source poses the question, ‘why is effectiveness more important than considering the
detrimental side effects of birth control’ and dives into why we should change our mindset when
it comes to birth control. The article reflects on the fact that women are different and although
some would rather be pregnant than deal with migraines, some are extremely worried about the
side effects birth control can have on a woman's body. It also talks about the concept of
embodied risk, medical risk, and lifestyle risk. It gives good information on the effectiveness of
birth control and whether or not it is worth taking, considering all of the negative ways it impacts
a woman's body. This article is unique compared to my other sources because the intended
audience is women who want to make an educated decision on what is best for themselves. The
author is aware that most of these side effects and risks are unknown and therefore is attempting
to educate and assist people in deciding whether or not to use contraception.
Source 2
Chiappori, P., & Oreffice, S. (2008). Birth Control and Female Empowerment: An Equilibrium
Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 116(1), 113–140. https://doi.org/10.1086/529409
This article discusses the correlation between birth control and female empowerment and how
they go hand in hand with each other. It brings to light the impact that birth control has had on
modern societies and takes into consideration how the birth rates have changed in certain social
groups. It proposes the idea of how drastically men and womens decision making has changed
since birth control and abortion laws were passed. Now that people can plan if/to have kids,
anyone in a relationship is having to make a decision based on their morals and values. This
article is different from other sources that I am using because it dives deeper into how female
empowerment and birth control relate to one another and why family decision making has
evolved over the years.
Source 3

Commissioner, O. of the. (2021, June 18). Birth control. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-
women/birth-control.

This article from the US Food and Drug Administration gives the reader an abundant amount of
information about birth control and different contraceptives. It gives some background and
education on different types of birth control, other options, and some things to consider before
you begin taking birth control. It walks you through what to let your doctor know before taking
birth control and gives great detail about how each method works. This article is different from
my other sources because it does not only focus on the pill, but every birth control method. It is a
credible source and helps educate the reader on not only what all of the birth control options are,
but also explains how they work and how they are different from each other.

Source 4
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Hers Editorial Team. (2021, February 5). How common are birth control side effects?
Hers. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://www.forhers.com/blog/how-common-are-
birth-control-side-effects.

This source presents information and discusses what the side effects of birth control are and how
common they are. This source is to educate women who are on birth control or who are
discerning whether or not to get on birth control. Information is only presented from the point of
view that does not support birth control, therefore, only included negative side effects of birth
control. The research is clearly presented and helpful in order to learn more about birth control
and the effects of being on it. I choose to use this source for my research because I believe it is
important to have sources with different perspectives. This source is useful because it tackles the
topic head on and only looks at it from the side of discouraging women from being on birth
control. This is the only source that I have that does not consider other options or the few
positives that birth control has.

Source 5

Hill, S. (2019). This is Your Brain on Birth Control: The Surprising Science of Women,
Hormones, and the Law of Unintended Consequences. Avery.

This book is about how your brain reacts to birth control. It shows not only the side effects but
the science behind the medicine and how it affects a woman. This book is not only about the
science behind birth control and your body but also dives into how your brain functions and how
it is also affected. Your brain is impacted the most while on birth control and this book explains
why and how exactly that is. This source is important, relevant, and different from my other
sources in that it looks into the science of the issue. This book combats what most women think
about birth control by presenting the trust about how exactly birth control manipulates every part
of your being.

Source 6

Jefferson City Medical Group. (2016). Birth Control Pills (Oral Contraception). Jefferson City
Medical Group.

This article completely lays out everything you need to know about birth control. It includes
facts such as what birth control is, how it is used, benefits and disadvantages, and finally, who is
suggested to not take birth control. This is an extremely educational article and only writes
medical facts about birth control. It states clearly that in no way is the information diagnosis or
resource to receive or be put on birth control, but that it was simply an education tool for women.
This source is different from the other sources I found because it lays out every piece of
information you need to be educated and informed, the good and the bad. There is no bias
identified in this article and that is why I believe it is so important to include in my research.

Source 7

Kaur, J. [@kaurhealth]. (2021, June 9). “The pill works but at what cost to the
body?...We explore hormonal contraceptives and their implications on the body. Many
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people are not consulted on the full side-effects of hormonal contraceptives. I say it a lot,
but I strongly believe that if we were, it’s usage would look VERY different.” Instagram.

This Instagram post discusses the idea that if all women knew the implications that birth control
has on their brains and bodies then the number of women on birth control would look drastically
different. It reflects on the fact that yes the pill may be effective in not getting pregnant, not
having headaches, or acne, but at what cost? Birth control silently destroys a woman's body and
is successful everytime. This source is important for my research because it is different in that I
found it on Instagram. Like previously stated, it is necessary to have an abundant amount of
perspectives to make an effective research paper and the same goes for different resources.

Source 8

Littlejohn, K. E. (2013). “It’s Those Pills That Are Ruining Me”: Gender and the Social
Meanings of Hormonal Contraceptive Side Effects. Gender and Society, 27(6), 843–863.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/43669840
This article reflects on the history of how birth control came to be. It discusses the idea that back
in the 1960’s when birth control was first being promoted, women felt empowered and in
control. As time went on, those same women began to witness the negative impact it had on their
bodies mentally and physically. The article supports the idea that the more women who are
educated about unknown side effects of birth control the less women would be willing to be on
birth control. It also dives into the statistics of unplanned pregnancies, and speaks on the fact that
although the birth control pill is so widely used, unplanned pregnancies remain extremely high.
This source is different from the other sources I am using because it looks back at history as well
as acknowledges the statistics in the situation, giving the readers a better understanding of the
problem at hand.
Source 9

SimpleHealth. (2021, January 26). 7 benefits of birth control (Beyond pregnancy prevention).
SimpleHealth. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.simplehealth.com/blog/7-
positive-birth-control-side-effects.

This source looks into what the 7 positive side effects of being on birth control are. Most
positives are small things such as regular periods, and acne control, but there are also bigger
benefits such as a lower risk of developing Ovarian cancer. This source aims to educate women
on the fact that although the negative side effects are promoted more often, there are a few
positive side effects besides preventing pregnancy. Many are unaware that positive side effects
do exist from being on hormonal contraceptives and this source's goal is to inform women of the
positives to assist them in making an educated decision. This source is different from all of my
other sources because it only focuses on how birth control affects women in a positive way. It is
important to bring every perspective into my research and this is a great way to do so.

Source 10
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Smith, L. (2020, September 29). Birth control pill: Side effects, risks, alternatives, and
the shot. Medical News Today. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290196#long-term-effects.
This source dives deeper into the 10 most common effects birth control has on women that
doctors do not always warn women about. It is successful in informing the reader of all of the
potential side effects they could experience while also stating that every person is different. It
also considers potential alternatives to birth control which is helpful because many women are
unaware of other options. This source is effective in educating the reader that birth control might
not be the best option for everyone and that there are often repercussions that many are not aware
of. This source is different from my other sources because it is written by a Medical Professional,
which makes it extremely credible. It also discusses other possible and healthy birth control
methods that might not affect your body as drastically as the birth control pill does.