Word: norplant
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...Norplant consists of six matchstick-sized capsules that, when inserted under the skin of a woman's arm between her armpit and her elbow, begin releasing small amounts of progestin, a hormone that blocks ovulation. The implant is effective within 24 hours of insertion for a period of five years with a success rate of 99.8%. Norplant is also cheap at about $500 for the capsules, insertion, and removal. By comparison, purchasing birth control pills over the same period would cost $900. Once Norplant is removed, fertility is restored. Not even stitches are necessary...
...cost-effectiveness and almost fool-proof nature of Norplant has attracted the attention of public officials, who are interested in lowering the pregnancy rate of individuals who rely heavily on public assistance or are likely to be unfit parents. Children born to criminal or drug-dependent parents are statistically at high risk of becoming costly burdens to society as well...
...Baltimore, public health officials, faced with one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the nation, decided in December to add Norplant to the existing contraception program in the school health clinics. Female students there welcomed the introduction of Norplant into school clinics, since it will boost their chances of finishing school with out worrying about getting pregnant. According to the latest statistics, 1 in 10 Baltimore girls 15-17 gave birth...
...most controversial application of Norplant is its introduction into the welfare system. Last month Maryland Governor William D. Schaefer announced that his administration is exploring ways of employing Norplant to reduce the number of children being born into poverty in that state. He even went so far as to say that his staff would look at requiring a woman to get Norplant if she is on welfare and already has a number of illegitimate children...
...ends stated by Schaefer and other concerned officials are indisputably desirable; a smaller underclass, which means less suffering in general and less burden to the state. But using Norplant as a means of social control is at the least questionable and at most conjures up a nightmarish Orwellian scenario...