Well, the more precise phrase would be “fertility decline was not caused by the invention of new birth control technologies”. It is totally possible for a society to have below replacement fertility using only birth control methods available since pre-industrial era.
That’s not true either. It may not be feasible to achieve below replacement fertility using only pre-industrial birth control technology. It would definitely be difficult to achieve that and produce sufficient birth control for hundreds of millions of people without industrial technology.
Regardless, new birth control innovations still increased both the availability and effectiveness of birth control, which still contributed to lowering birth rates. All birth control methods have pros and cons, and when people have more options to choose from, it becomes easier to pick one that works the best for their needs and desires. It also makes it easier to use multiple birth control methods at the same time, since it’s possible for one method or another to fail.
New birth control technologies in 1900s also contributed to lowering birth rates. IUDs were developed during the early and mid 1900s. Wikipedia also states that “Vasectomy as a method of voluntary birth control began during the Second World War”. Emergency contraception was first developed in the 1970s. Roe vs Wade was also passed by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which legalized abortion nationwide across the US and gave people yet another viable method of birth control. I know people who have had vasectomies, IUDs, emergency contraception, and abortions, and I can guarantee that they would all have higher birth rates if these birth control methods weren’t available to them. It simply doesn’t make sense to insist that increasing the availability and effectiveness of birth control methods did not help reduce fertility rates.
Well, the more precise phrase would be “fertility decline was not caused by the invention of new birth control technologies”. It is totally possible for a society to have below replacement fertility using only birth control methods available since pre-industrial era.
That’s not true either. It may not be feasible to achieve below replacement fertility using only pre-industrial birth control technology. It would definitely be difficult to achieve that and produce sufficient birth control for hundreds of millions of people without industrial technology.
Regardless, new birth control innovations still increased both the availability and effectiveness of birth control, which still contributed to lowering birth rates. All birth control methods have pros and cons, and when people have more options to choose from, it becomes easier to pick one that works the best for their needs and desires. It also makes it easier to use multiple birth control methods at the same time, since it’s possible for one method or another to fail.
New birth control technologies in 1900s also contributed to lowering birth rates. IUDs were developed during the early and mid 1900s. Wikipedia also states that “Vasectomy as a method of voluntary birth control began during the Second World War”. Emergency contraception was first developed in the 1970s. Roe vs Wade was also passed by the US Supreme Court in 1973, which legalized abortion nationwide across the US and gave people yet another viable method of birth control. I know people who have had vasectomies, IUDs, emergency contraception, and abortions, and I can guarantee that they would all have higher birth rates if these birth control methods weren’t available to them. It simply doesn’t make sense to insist that increasing the availability and effectiveness of birth control methods did not help reduce fertility rates.