Traditional Hindu texts praise large families (which was normal in ancient times). Yet, Hindu scriptures that applaud small families also exist which emphasize the development of a positive social conscience. So family planning is seen as an ethical good. The Upanishads (texts delineating key Hindu concepts) describe birth control methods, and some Hindu scriptures contain advice on what a couple should do to promote conception (thus providing a type of contraceptive advice).
==Medical risks==
Some types of contraception can produce a increase in the risk of breast cancer diagnosis among current and recent users. By 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined the scientific evidence was then compelling enough to designate combined estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives as "carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1).<ref>[http://www.who.int/entity/reproductivehealth/topics/ageing/cocs_hrt_statement.pdf World Health Organization: Carcinogenicity of combined hormonal contraceptives and combined menopausal treatment]</ref>
Studies with accounting for the timing and length of exposure showed that women who began using hormonal contraceptives before the age of 20 and before their first full-term pregnancy are at substantially increased risk for premenopausal breast cancer.
The most recent meta-analysis to date, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (October,2006) found that oral contraceptives increase the risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer by 44% in women who took them prior to the birth of their first child. The authors noted that21 out of 23 studies showed a positive trend or risk in this cohort of women. The meta-analysis also found that women who took oral contraceptives for 4 or more years prior to the birth of their first child had a 52% increased risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer. Both of these statistics were significant at the 99% confidence interval-a higher standard of statistical significance than is used in most research.<ref>Kahlenborn C, Modugno F, Potter DM, Severs WB. Oral contraceptive use as a risk factor for premenopausal breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006:81(10):1290-1302.</ref> An older pooled analysis published in 1996-theAn older pooled analysis published in 1996-the Oxford pooled-analysis- found a relative risk (RR) of 1.24 of breast cancer diagnosis among current combined oral contraceptive pill users <ref>Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and hormonal contraceptives: further results Contraception, 1996;54 (1S- 106S) (See appendix 62).</ref>; however this analysis has been critiqued because over 66% of women were over the age of 45 <ref>Althuis MD, Brogan DR, Coates RJ, et al. Hormonal content and potency of oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk among young women. Br. J. Cancer. 2003:88:50-57.</ref> and because the authors included several older studies, the bulk of whose data came prior to 1980 <ref>Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and hormonal contraceptives: further results Contraception, 1996;54 (1S- 106S) (See appendix 62).</ref>.
==Legality (US)==