137:
facilities were still promoting the ovulation method of contraception. This method requires that couples only practice safe sex during specific times of a woman's ovulation, and by monitoring a woman's vaginal mucus. Betts notes that this is an inaccurate method that does not adequately safeguard all women from conception, especially women with irregular menstrual cycles. Betts' research shows that
Billings and his colleagues had close associations with the Catholic Church, which strongly advocated this method as the sole way to practice contraception. Betts also showed flaws in the original published research that Billings used to establish his methodology, such as with a limited sample of housewives (only 22 women were studied for one menstrual cycle in a follow up report by Billings). Betts also shows that several other studies excluded cases where pregnancy had occurred amongst women using the ovulation method, which significantly skewed the findings, and gave the impression that the Billings method was more successful in preventing unplanned births than was actually the case. Betts also reviews other data that shows that the ovulation method places the onus on women to regulate sexual activity, and therefore ignoring the social context in which sexual activity takes place. For example, studies showed that women were unable to negotiate abstinence from their husbands during specific times. Betts' research calls attention to the way in which the ovulation method became institutionalised in hospitals and birth clinics that received funding from Catholic-affiliated institutions. For example, in 1973-1974, Betts notes that the Family Planning Association received $ 200,000 of Government funding while Catholic family planning agencies received $ 100,000. In the late 1970s, Betts notes that half of pregnancies were still unplanned. Under these circumstances, Betts argued that Governments should promote methods of contraception that were more reliable.
129:
birth control, disadvantaged groups continued to lack access to contraception due to lack of economic and social resources. This put poor people, youth, migrants and unmarried people at higher risk of unwanted births (measured through abortion rates and unwanted births carried to term). Some of the social issues that impacted on the use of new contraceptive methods included the lack of literacy and
English-language skills amongst migrant women. Although some pamphlets were made available in a few minority languages, their dissemination was limited, meaning that migrant women were unlikely to understand their contraception options. Data showed that some migrant groups, such as Greek women, were still largely practising the withdrawal method. With respect to single women, a review of survey data on medical practitioners showed that physicians were reticent to prescribe the oral contraceptive pill to young unwed women. Few medical practitioners were willing to provide other methods of contraception other than sterilisation. This was due to their religious beliefs, especially amongst physicians of Catholic background. Betts argued that while fertility and birth control clinics filled in some gaps in the provision of birth control for disadvantaged groups, but they did not meet all their requirements. Betts' contribution to the early literature on contraception in Australia was to show that wider availability of contraception did not necessarily mean equal access. Vulnerable and disadvantaged groups were "ill equipped" to ask for and benefit from new contraceptive methods.
141:
the
Billings Method. The evidence shows that even amongst women who monitored both their body temperature and vaginal mucus levels, mucus symptoms were "erratic." In one study of 166 women who recorded 1,600 menstrual cycles, 75% of participants could observe mucus in every cycle, while 21% could only notice this sometimes, and the rest couldn't measure mucus at all. Other studies showed that women were more likely to get pregnant using the Billings method than women using other methods, such as the oral contraceptive pill, IUDs, condoms and diaphragms. Most of these women said they either abandoned the Billings method or miscalculated because the method was either "too complicated," or there were "too many rules to follow" or there were "too many qualifications" to observe. Betts argues that while all methods of contraception require that individuals adhere to proper use, the Billings method was still less effective than other methods and she questioned the Government's continued support of this as a primary family planning strategy.
287:
54:. Her thesis explored the relationship between fertility patterns and shift in the accessibility of birth control methods. Betts published several academic articles drawing on this body of research. This includes a statistical exploration of the failure rate of the ovulation method of contraception and its persistence as a supported social policy avenue in the mid-1970s.
128:
In this period, the crude birth rate declined from 21.45 births per 1,000 to 16.65 births, and the number of total births had dropped by 13,601(from 75,498 births in 1971 to 61,897 in 1975). At the same time, Betts noted that despite this demographic shift, and in spite of the wider availability of
144:
While Betts continued to research population issues over the next two decades, she returned to specific topic of women's fertility issues and population in the mid-to-late 2000s. During the
October 2004 Federal election, Christian lobby groups and Coalition candidates ran a campaign advocating that
140:
Betts returned to this subject in the mid-1980s. She notes that the
Billings Method had come under significant criticism, including being the subject of an inquiry by the Royal Commission on Human Relationships. Betts' research reviews evidence from comprehensive studies on the biological basis of
124:
methods. This included a study of the decline of unwanted births in
Victoria as a result of the new-found availability of birth control in 1971. Betts found that within the subsequent four-year period, demographic trends showed that unwanted births declined while the wanted births rate did not.
136:
of contraception, colloquially known as the ovulation or rhythm method. This technique was established in
Australia and grew in popularity around the world. Betts notes that despite the introduction of more effective contraceptive methods in 1971, even in the late 1970s, Government funds and
76:
Betts worked as a sociology lecturer at Monash
University from 1981 to 1986, and then became Associate Professor of Sociology with Swinburne from 1987 to 2009, up until her retirement. Betts retains her status as an adjunct professor with Swinburne University in the present day.
145:
the
Australian population was largely against abortion. Betts drew on empirical data from population surveys which showed that 81% of the Australian population was resolutely pro-choice, while only 9% were firmly against abortion.
560:
80:
Along with
Professor Bob Birrell, Betts was co-editor of the quarterly peer-reviewed journal People and Place (1993 to 2010), published by the Centre for Population and Urban Research.
535:
540:
186:
31:
550:
555:
35:
161:
116:
In her early career, in the mid-to-late 1970s, Betts analysed patterns of demography and population in connection to issues of
320:
133:
194:
493:
26:
specialising in environmental and population issues. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Sociology with
97:
336:
545:
47:
27:
466:
505:
474:
379:
316:
268:
51:
456:
448:
410:
371:
260:
64:. This thesis would go on to form the basis of her first authored book published in 1988,
414:
375:
264:
529:
121:
60:
Betts obtained her PhD in Sociology from Monash University. Her thesis was titled
50:, majoring in English, History and Sociology. Her Honours degree was completed in
310:
105:
101:
23:
93:
89:
57:
Betts then completed a Diploma in Modern Greek at the University of Salonika.
509:
383:
272:
117:
478:
461:
132:
In the late 1970s to mid-1980s, Betts examined the effectiveness of the
470:
452:
88:
Betts has contributed to three broad areas of Australian sociology:
436:
398:
359:
248:
242:
240:
238:
220:
437:"The Billings method of family planning: and assessment"
399:"The availability of birth control: Victoria 1971-1975"
561:
Academic staff of Swinburne University of Technology
214:
212:
494:"Attitudes to abortion in Australia: 1972 to 2003"
360:"Wanted unwanted fertility: Victoria 1971 to 1975"
288:"Ideology and immigration Australia 1976 to 1983"
312:Ideology and Immigration: Australia 1976 to 1987
66:Ideology and Immigration: Australia 1976 to 1987
46:Betts obtained an undergraduate degree with the
62:Ideology and Immigration Australia 1976 to 1983
8:
536:21st-century Australian social scientists
460:
315:. Carlton: Melbourne University Press.
249:"The Ovulation Method of Contraception"
153:
32:The Australian Sociological Association
7:
403:Australian Journal of Social Issues
364:Australian Journal of Social Issues
253:Australian Journal of Social Issues
162:"Swinburne University Media Centre"
541:Australian women social scientists
415:10.1002/j.1839-4655.1979.tb00665.x
376:10.1002/j.1839-4655.1980.tb00680.x
265:10.1002/j.1839-4655.1976.tb01247.x
166:Swinburne University of Technology
14:
191:Sustainable Population Australia
36:Sustainable Population Australia
1:
551:University of Tasmania alumni
221:"Katharine Betts's home page"
187:"Katharine Betts' homepage"
577:
441:Studies in Family Planning
30:. She is also a member of
492:Betts, Katharine (2004).
435:Betts, Katharine (1984).
397:Betts, Katharine (1980).
358:Betts, Katharine (1980).
309:Betts, Katharine (1988).
247:Betts, Katharine (1976).
134:Billings Ovulation Method
112:Demography and population
556:Monash University alumni
98:environmental sociology
48:University of Tasmania
16:Australian sociologist
28:Swinburne University
339:. Monash University
290:. Monash University
337:"People and Place"
286:Betts, Katharine.
219:Betts, Katharine.
223:. Katharine Betts
52:Monash University
22:is an Australian
568:
521:
520:
518:
516:
498:People and Place
489:
483:
482:
464:
432:
426:
425:
423:
421:
394:
388:
387:
355:
349:
348:
346:
344:
333:
327:
326:
306:
300:
299:
297:
295:
283:
277:
276:
244:
233:
232:
230:
228:
216:
207:
206:
204:
202:
193:. Archived from
183:
177:
176:
174:
172:
158:
576:
575:
571:
570:
569:
567:
566:
565:
526:
525:
524:
514:
512:
491:
490:
486:
453:10.2307/1966070
434:
433:
429:
419:
417:
396:
395:
391:
357:
356:
352:
342:
340:
335:
334:
330:
323:
308:
307:
303:
293:
291:
285:
284:
280:
246:
245:
236:
226:
224:
218:
217:
210:
200:
198:
197:on 6 March 2014
185:
184:
180:
170:
168:
160:
159:
155:
151:
114:
86:
74:
44:
20:Katharine Betts
17:
12:
11:
5:
574:
572:
564:
563:
558:
553:
548:
543:
538:
528:
527:
523:
522:
484:
447:(6): 253–266.
427:
389:
370:(3): 194–208.
350:
328:
321:
301:
278:
234:
208:
178:
152:
150:
147:
113:
110:
85:
82:
73:
70:
43:
40:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
573:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
546:Living people
544:
542:
539:
537:
534:
533:
531:
511:
507:
503:
499:
495:
488:
485:
480:
476:
472:
468:
463:
462:1959.3/207976
458:
454:
450:
446:
442:
438:
431:
428:
416:
412:
408:
404:
400:
393:
390:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
354:
351:
338:
332:
329:
324:
318:
314:
313:
305:
302:
289:
282:
279:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
243:
241:
239:
235:
222:
215:
213:
209:
196:
192:
188:
182:
179:
167:
163:
157:
154:
148:
146:
142:
138:
135:
130:
126:
123:
122:contraception
119:
111:
109:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
83:
81:
78:
71:
69:
67:
63:
58:
55:
53:
49:
41:
39:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
513:. Retrieved
504:(4): 22–27.
501:
497:
487:
444:
440:
430:
418:. Retrieved
409:(1): 17–29.
406:
405:. 01576321.
402:
392:
367:
363:
353:
341:. Retrieved
331:
311:
304:
292:. Retrieved
281:
256:
252:
225:. Retrieved
199:. Retrieved
195:the original
190:
181:
169:. Retrieved
165:
156:
143:
139:
131:
127:
115:
87:
79:
75:
65:
61:
59:
56:
45:
19:
18:
259:(1): 1–14.
106:citizenship
102:immigration
24:sociologist
530:Categories
322:0522843514
149:References
94:population
90:demography
510:1039-4788
384:0157-6321
273:0157-6321
118:fertility
42:Education
84:Research
515:5 March
479:6515667
471:1966070
420:5 March
343:5 March
294:5 March
227:5 March
201:5 March
171:5 March
508:
477:
469:
382:
319:
271:
100:; and
72:Career
467:JSTOR
517:2014
506:ISSN
475:PMID
422:2014
380:ISSN
345:2014
317:ISBN
296:2014
269:ISSN
229:2014
203:2014
173:2014
120:and
104:and
92:and
34:and
457:hdl
449:doi
411:doi
372:doi
261:doi
532::
502:12
500:.
496:.
473:.
465:.
455:.
445:15
443:.
439:.
407:15
401:.
378:.
368:15
366:.
362:.
267:.
257:11
255:.
251:.
237:^
211:^
189:.
164:.
108:.
96:;
68:.
38:.
519:.
481:.
459::
451::
424:.
413::
386:.
374::
347:.
325:.
298:.
275:.
263::
231:.
205:.
175:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.