Perhaps you would like to have (more) children some day, but not right away. Or perhaps you have serious reasons to avoid having (more) children. You will be facing a very important decision regarding family planning.
As your doctor, I feel it is my job to provide information that will help you make a wise choice that is best for you medically, emotionally, and spiritually. I take this responsibility very seriously.
Certainly, there are many artificial methods of birth control available. You may have experience with some already. Although I am qualified to prescribe birth control, I made a decision several years ago to stop prescribing or recommending these artificial methods. There are several reasons why, and Id like to share some of them with you.
Hormonal contraceptives like the Pill, the Shot (Depo-Provera), the patch, and the vaginal ring can have unpleasant and potentially serious side-effects such as:
- weight gain
- depression
- headaches
- prolonged infertility
- irregular bleeding
- decreased sex drive
- increased risk of breast cancer
- increased risk of blood clots, stroke,
- and DEATH
Also, did you know that these methods can cause an early abortion? So can the IUD.
No birth control method, not even the condom, keeps you safe from sexually transmitted diseases.
Sometimes women feel freer to have sex, knowing that they are less likely to get pregnant while using birth control. However, they are forgetting that many of the sexually transmitted infections can cause serious, life-long, or even life-threatening diseases such as: AIDS, HPV (genital warts, cervical cancer), and Herpes. These are all viruses that have no cure. The more partners you have, the higher your risk of infection. I have seen many women suffering from the consequences of such devastating infections. They are left to cope with recurrent pain and permanent loss of their ability to have children. Some even face death! All birth control methods sometimes fail. If you are using birth control and having sex without the intention of having a baby, what do you do if the birth control fails and you get pregnant? (You may have experienced this already.) You can find yourself dealing with many new issues that you were unprepared to face such as financial worries, strained relationships, fathers rights, adoption, and maybe even abortion.
Throughout human history, fertility has been seen as a blessing from God.
Your fertility is an awesome gift! You were created to have cycles of fertility. This is a normal and healthy condition. Does it seem right to put foreign objects and chemicals in your body, or have surgical procedures, to counteract a normal healthy function? After using artificial methods to prevent pregnancy, some women are never able to get pregnant. Your fertility is like a treasure that should be preserved and protected..
Artificial birth control can change the way men view women and sex.
Many women feel that, when using birth control, they are seen less as a partner or companion, and more as an object of pleasure. A woman may have decreased desire for sex due to the effects of the contraceptive, while her partner may expect sex at any time because he thinks that there is no longer the chance of getting pregnant. This can cause tension and resentment in the relationship. Many couples experience a feeling of emptiness in their sex life. Sex loses its deeper meaning.
So, what should you do?
As your doctor and a concerned friend, I would never recommend anything that I feel could be harmful. I want only the best for you. That is why, if you are not in a committed, life-long relationship (marriage), I strongly recommend that you seriously consider making the decision to stop having sex. It may seem difficult, but its not impossible to make a new start. This is the only safe and healthy choice.
If you are married, I highly recommend the use of modern methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP). NFP teaches a couple to understand and observe the woman’s natural signs of fertility and to use these observations to achieve or avoid pregnancy. These methods can be effectively used to space pregnancies or to postpone pregnancy indefinitely if you have serious reasons to do so. NFP can also strengthen marriages. Couples often experience improved communication, self control, and a deeper commitment to each other. (The divorce rate among couples who use NFP is less than 5%!) Many also report improved satisfaction in their sexual relationship. When they are intimate, they can give themselves completely to each other without worrying about contraception.
If you’d like more information about NFP, or anything else in this pamphlet, just call One More Soul at (937) 279-5433.
Your fertility is a precious gift! Please handle it with care! May God bless you!