The Catholic Church, for instance, is strongly opposed to all fertility control apart form voluntary abstinence.

With fertility control in her own hands, a woman can decide how many babies she has.

Henry is also responsible for the concept of natural fertility, which became important for how demographers came to understand the idea of fertility control.

Factors increasing this rate include economic cycles, political events, technical advances in fertility control and the rising employment of women.

Families seemed to be small to medium sized, so they probably had some kind of fertility control, though the subject was never mentioned.

Also seeing some limited use is fertility control.

In the case of reproductive health services, these services are often provided as a form of fertility control rather than as care for women's well-being.

Mr. Joyce said: "The notion that fertility control could have an impact on child well-being is a reasonable one.

"Politicians are narrowing access to abortion and contraception, while medical science is increasing access to fertility control," she said.

Banks dismisses the argument that fertility control results from economically rational behaviour.