Conception vs. birth control

"Birth control" seems to be a big talking point these days. It's a broad term that covers everything from condoms to the morning-after pill and sometimes abortions. "Birth control" has become a polarizing term that you either completely disagree with or completely agree with.

Under the present definition, "birth control" can describe drugs, devices and procedures that can prevent the birth of a fetus or the conception of a fetus. If you believe that life begins at conception, it's an important distinction. Before there is conception, this is no new life. After conception, you cannot remove that life without killing it.

I'd propose that items and procedures to prevent conception be described as "conception control", likewise items and procedures to prevent birth be described as "birth control" since these definitions are more in line with the intent and probable outcomes of the procedures.

Spaying your cat is conception control, spaying it when it's pregnant is birth control. If dead babies don't engender any compassion, perhaps dead kittens will.

Here's a link to an article where the author is expressing her turmoil to a friend's cat's abortion.

Struggling With the Morality of Cat Abortion