Why consider alternatives to the pill?

• Hormonal contraception is associated with a wide variety of life-threatening conditions, including heart disease, stroke, blood clots, liver cancer, several reproductive cancers, and depression. 
• The pill also has common negative side effects such as migraines, moodiness, and weight gain. 
• Hormonal contraception modifies or eliminates the woman’s symptoms, while her underlying medical problem, the cause of the symptoms, remains undiagnosed and untreated. Masking the symptoms without appropriate diagnostic work could lead to more severe illness. 
• Hormonal contraception depletes the body of important nutrients, including: Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Zinc. 
• Hormonal contraception can also cause temporary and sometimes permanent infertility even after use is discontinued.
• Many women want to avoid hormonal contraception for ethical reasons.

Cycle Facts

• NORMAL LENGTH : 25-31 DAYS
• SHORT CYCLE: < 24 DAYS
• LONG CYCLE: > 38 DAYS
• FOR THE FIRST 12-18 MONTHS AFTER FIRST MENSTRUATION AND AT THE END OF REPRODUCTIVE YEARS, CYCLES CAN BE VERY IRREGULAR.
• 20% OF WOMEN EXPERIENCE IRREGULAR CYCLES throughout their fertile years.

Irregular Cycles

There are several causes for irregular cycles. Some women experience irregular cycles near the beginning and the end of their reproductive life. Irregular bleeding can be caused by hormonal imbalances of the thyroid or pituitary glands, ovarian dysfunction, uterine polyps and fibroids, infections, bleeding disorders, complications in pregnancy, being underweight or having low body fat, and some medications.

WHAT DOES THE PILL DO FOR IT?

Birth control pills suppress the fertility cycle and menstrual bleeding. A woman using birth control usually takes three weeks worth of pills that contain active artificial hormones. These pills prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and keeping the uterine lining thin. Pills taken during the fourth week do not contain active hormones, so the woman experiences bleeding at this time. This monthly bleeding is not a “true” period. It is called withdrawal bleeding and is the body’s response to the interruption of the artificial hormones. Other types of hormonal contraception such as shots, implants, mini-pills, or intrauterine devices can cause bleeding between periods, irregular bleeding, or no periods at all.

ALTERNATIVES

The first healthy step is to identify and correct the underlying condition causing the irregular bleeding. Charting the cycles with a method of fertility awareness can help monitor the cycles and identify the cause of the irregularity. Vitamins, minerals and fatty acid supplements in combination with good nutrition, stress reduction, sufficient sleep in complete darkness, and moderate exercise are all strategies that can help improve hormonal balance and cycle regularity. For example, a woman who has extremely low body fat may need to gain five or ten pounds for her cycle to resume. A teenager involved in regular strenuous exercise, such as team sports, may want to wait until the season is over and her exercise level has decreased to see if menstruation comes back on its own.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

PCOS is a temporary and reversible endocrine disorder
and is associated with hormonal imbalance or inflammation
resulting in a lack of ovulation. Symptoms include irregular
cycles, difficulty losing weight, unusual body hair on the chest,
abdomen, arms, or face, insulin resistance, and infertility.
Recently four different types of PCOS have been identified:
insulin resistant, inflammatory, adrenal, and post-pill.

WHAT DOES THE PILL DO FOR IT?

The artificial hormones in the pill may cause more
predictable bleeding and clear acne but the pill does not
fix any underlying hormone problems. It makes several
of them like thyroid and low progesterone worse. The pill
drives up inflammation, causes oxidative stress, and creates
some significant nutrient deficiencies such as zinc, B6,
CoQ10, selenium, and magnesium.

ALTERNATIVES

For insulin resistance, getting enough sleep, multivitamins, flax oil, chromium, and inositol supplements may increase insulin sensitivity. Women with inflammatory PCOS and food sensitivities to dairy, soy, and eggs should eliminate these from their diet. Supplements such as zinc and NAC are helpful for
inflammation. For adrenal PCOS, stress reduction, adaptogenic herbs, and vitamin B5 may help to reduce cortisol response. For infertility, weight reduction, tracking the woman’s cycle, and treatments to stimulate ovulation are used.

Painful Periods

Painful cramps accompanying menstruation may occur in a woman who is otherwise healthy, or may be symptoms of a recognizable disease. The pain is due to inflammation and spastic contractions of the uterus caused by substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins decrease blood flow in the uterus and cause inflammation, which worsens the severity of uterine contractions.

WHAT DOES THE PILL DO FOR IT?

The pill decreases the thickness of the lining of the uterus which produces prostaglandins. The thinned lining produces fewer prostaglandins, which can reduce menstrual pain.

ALTERNATIVES

When no disease is diagnosed, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are the first-choice. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) can be an effective option. Some studies suggest that magnesium can relieve the pain related to painful periods.

Some natural alternatives are aerobic exercise, daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, Zinc, and dietary changes such as decreasing intake of animal fats.

Endometriosis

Do not ignore painful periods. It can be related to endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which
the lining of the womb (the endometrium) implants and
grows outside the uterus. These endometrial implants can grow in the pelvis, fallopian tubes, ovaries, bowel, bladder, or other organs such as the lung, heart, eye, armpit, or knee. It produces local inflammation, pain, and infertility. Hormonal contraception can alleviate some symptoms of endometriosis because it reduces the thickness of the endometrium. B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E may alleviate the pain.

Eliminating foods containing sugar, and supplementing with essential fatty acids and vitamin D can prevent endometriosis. However, in some cases, surgery is the only way to definitively diagnose and treat endometriosis.

Heavy/Long Periods

A period is excessively heavy if a woman must change her pad/tampon more than once every hour or if her period lasts longer than seven days. Heavy blood loss can cause anemia and iron depletion.

WHAT DOES THE PILL DO FOR IT?

Hormonal contraception causes withdrawal bleeding, which can be lighter and shorter than a normal period. Withdrawal bleeding is less severe because the pill decreases the thickness of the endometrial tissue that lines the uterus.

ALTERNATIVES

Flax oil, chlorophyll capsules (rich in vitamin K), vitamin A, and beta carotene can help to reduce blood flow. For severe bleeding due to hormonal imbalance, supplemental hormones such as thyroid-replacement hormones or bioidentical progesterone may be needed.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

PMS refers to a group of symptoms that often occur at least 4 days prior to menstruation and disappear during the menstrual flow. PMS can be caused by an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Symptoms can include headaches/migraines, irritability, food cravings, breast tenderness, weight gain, anxiety, diarrhea, insomnia, and feelings of being overwhelmed or sad. PMS is also associated with a worsening of preexisting medical conditions including asthma, arthritis, skin disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and substance abuse.

WHAT DOES THE PILL DO FOR IT?

Oral contraceptives replace the normal fertility/menstrual cycle with a very different cycle. Some symptoms of PMS may be relieved with this treatment, but others may be worsened.

ALTERNATIVES

The first step is for a woman to chart her monthly cycles and monitor PMS symptoms she observes each month. A targeted hormone evaluation by a doctor is recommended to determine the presence of hormonal imbalances. If the evaluation confirms a hormonal deficiency, the doctor may pursue treatment with bioidentical hormones or other therapies.

Vitamin B6 has been recommended for the treatment of PMS. Magnesium may help with reduction in water retention and improvement in mood. A high intake of calcium and vitamin D may reduce symptoms of PMS. Calcium and vitamin D may also reduce the risk of osteoporosis and some cancers. Tryptophan used during the last few days before menstruation can be helpful in women with premenstrual mood disorder. Evening primrose oil and vitamin E may relieve breast tenderness.

Acne

Acne is a common localized skin inflammation influenced by hormones, principally testosterone.

WHAT DOES THE PILL DO FOR IT?

 The Pill causes a decrease of free testosterone. This in turn can reduce the outbreak of acne since in some cases it is testosterone that causes the oil glands to be overactive.

ALTERNATIVES

Treatment will depend on the severity of the acne. Non-prescription topical antimicrobial and oral antibiotics are used in mild acne. Some medications such as spironolactone and isotretinoin, as well as laser and light therapy are used for severe acne. Brewer’s yeast is a rich source of chromium. Zinc supplements have also shown some improvement in acne.

No pamphlet can replace professional medical advice. This brochure presents some simple and easy health promoting strategies to help women experience better cycles and better health. If you think you might have any of these issues, we strongly urge you to discuss them with your doctor.

Want more information?

The book Fertility Cycles and Nutrition thoroughly explores the links between vitamin/mineral imbalances and unusual cycles. Check out The Effects of Light on the Menstrual Cycle for more info on the effect of too much nocturnal light. The NaPro Technology Revolution: Unleashing the Power in a Woman’s Cycle by Thomas Hilgers is a great resource for in-depth reading. It discusses a wide range of reproductive health issues and treatment plans.

These resources can be purchased at www.onemoresoul.com.

A Catholic Physician’s Story

As a family physician, I was trained that the only way to plan families effectively was to use artificial contraceptives, IUD’s or sterilization. Although these artificial methods had side effects, I was taught in medical school that they were worth the risk. Moral consequences were not to be considered since our faith life had nothing to do with our bodies, right? I was constantly reminded that one’s bag of morals and life ethic should be left at the doorway to medical education. I was there to serve the desires of my patients whether they wanted birth control pills or tubal ligations. My personal feelings, regardless of Church teaching had nothing to do with my practice of medicine.

To be honest, I never knew what the Church really taught on this subject. Even if I had known, I thought it could not impact the way I practiced medicine.

At the beginning of our marriage, my wife and I used oral contraceptives, but after our first child, we switched to the Sympto-Thermal Method of Natural Family Planning. This decision was not really based on faith, but due to our concerns for the side effects of the “pill” and the fact that my wife never took it consistently anyway.

One day at the end of a rotation during family practice residency, one of my best friends asked me a question that shook me to the roots of my being. “Jose” he asked, “I know you are a good doctor, but are you a Catholic doctor?”

That simple question threw me into a tailspin. I, like so many other Catholics, thought that going to church on Sunday and going to Confession when you did something “really bad,” was all that one needed to be a good Catholic. What I found out was that I could not have been further from the truth.

It took me a while to figure it out. I sought the counsel of many. Most could not appreciate the struggle I was in and why I wrestled with these issues, especially at this point in my life. I was made to feel I would be abandoning my patients and that I would be denying them a service I had provided in the past. After all, what would my patients say to me if I told them that I had stopped prescribing contraceptives, could no longer perform vasectomies or tubal ligations, just because of my Church’s teaching?

Through it all, my wife gave me the inner strength to know that I was on the right path. As I grew in my Catholic faith I realized God’s plan for me, my family and the patients I cared for, had to do with not only what I was doing, but also the way I was doing it. My wife was instrumental in helping me pick up the pieces. In many ways, she showed me I had not entered into a profession called medicine, but rather I had entered into a vocation-a way of life-one that was very personal. She showed me that my faith and values at home should and could impact my practice of medicine.

Since that soul searching, I have become a strong advocate for Natural Family Planning and the Culture of Life. To my surprise (and the surprise of my colleagues) my patients did not feel abandoned. Some were curious as to why I had made this decision, and said they admired me for standing up for my beliefs.

I find myself each day trying to be more faithful to the God who loves and forgives me. Each day, regardless of the ‘hat’ I wear, I am able to love a little more and forgive a little more. I have learned there are issues which cannot be compromised. For me, being a Catholic physician is all I know because my faith has pierced my heart and my soul.

I tell you my story not out of pride, but rather as a way to encourage you in your own journey of faith. As a Catholic, a husband, and a physician, I hope to bring to your attention three things:

1. The effects of artificial contraception on the mind, body and soul.

2. The Church’s gift of Natural Family Planning and its effectiveness.

3. The reaffirmation of God’s plan for you in your married or single life through the understanding of your bodily cycles.

Humanae Vitae

In my renewal of the Catholic Faith, especially with regard to my medical practice, I learned that God indeed has a plan for each of us: A plan transmitted through His Church, taught through its Magisterium, and presented (among other ways) in the form of an encyclical called Humanae Vitae. Written in 1968, this document outlines the Church’s teaching on conjugal relationships and responsible parenthood. It taught that, while artificial contraception in any form is morally wrong at all times and for any reason, natural fertility regulation may be used whenever there is a serious need to avoid pregnancy. This reason could be a medical, psychological, social or economic, temporary or permanent one.

Humanae Vitae not only detailed the evil of contraception, but also stressed the serious consequences that would befall society if we fell away from the Church’s teaching. As anyone can see, we have fallen away, with estimates of contraceptive use among Catholics and non-Catholics alike as high as 90 percent. The consequences have been devastating in terms of skyrocketing marital infidelity and divorce.

Pope Paul VI’s predictions that an increase in contraceptive use would lead to men regarding women as objects of desire and would allow governments to wield technological and economic power in population-reduction programs have been overwhelmingly fulfilled.

The “Pill” vs. NFP

How It Works

The modern-day birth control pill is made up of two types of artificial steroids that mimic the effects of naturally occurring hormones, estrogen and progesterone. These artificial hormones are formulated to act singularly or in combination, and may be taken by mouth, injected or placed beneath one’s skin. Their effectiveness relies on three mechanisms.

1. Suppression of ovulation.

2. Impeding migration of sperm, and

3. Inhibiting implantation of the embryo in the uterus

The pill is very effective if used as directed. It can prevent or terminate (more on that later) pregnancy 98-99 percent of the time.

So then, if it is so effective, why would I as a physician not prescribe it? Because I believe, as a Catholic Physician, I am called to address not just the patient’s body, but the personal unity of body, mind and soul.

The Body

The effects of artificial contraception can be devastating, depending on a woman’s genetic make-up, weight, length of time and type of contraceptive taken. Modern-day contraceptives have potent cardiovascular effects. A woman’s chances of suffering a heart attack, a stroke, or blood clots are increased significantly, even at the lowered dosages in use today as opposed to higher dosages given when the pill first came on the market over 40 years ago.

Contraceptives also have a potent carcinogenic effect. They raise a woman’s chances of suffering cervical cancer, liver tumors and breast cancer. Contraceptives are linked to increased incidence of migraine headaches, vaginal infections, gallbladder disease, changes in vision and a host of other clinical problems, including death.

Perhaps most sadly, all modern artificial contraceptives can cause early (chemical) abortions. They do this by making the lining of the womb hostile to the implantation and growth of the embryo. Thus, if ovulation occurs despite the contraceptive’s first mechanism (and this happens all too frequently), and the egg is fertilized, becoming a new human being, the contraceptive’s third mechanism acts to deny the embryo the home and nutrition it should receive in its mother’s womb. Therefore, an early abortion can occur during any given cycle and the woman would never know it because the embryo dies and is expelled from the body.

Also, due to a contraceptive’s potency, the side effects will likely last much longer than their time in use, and may cause some women to be permanently infertile.

The Mind

The use of artificial contraception can lead to depression, even after one shot (in the case of Depo-Provera), worsen premenstrual syndrome, and suppress a woman’s sexual drive.

The Soul

The Catholic Church still teaches that deliberate sterilization (temporary or permanent) is a gravely immoral form of birth control. Man and woman were made to be co-creators with God in the making of new human life. Therefore, when one uses contraception it is wrong, not only because it violates the procreative meaning of the sexual act, but also because it violates the unitive act as well. The sexual act is meant by God to be ‘total self-giving’ and when marriage partners withhold their fertility from their spouses, they are not totally giving themselves. The Catholic Church’s challenge to us throughout the centuries has been not to separate the lovemaking and life creating aspects of the sexual act within marriage.

A Healthy Alternative

Natural Family Planning or NFP (of which there are several models, such as the Billings Ovulation Method, the Sympto-Thermal Method or the Creighton Model) is a truly modern and effective way to plan one’s family, understand the miraculous function of the human body, and better participate in God’s plan for married couples and their fertility.

These methods are all based on the fact that a woman will undergo cyclical changes in her fertility evidenced by certain bodily changes. These changes include differences in cervical mucus, body temperature and others. These signs of fertility and infertility are easy to observe and interpret. The couple can then use these signs of fertile and infertile days to either achieve or avoid a pregnancy.

These methods are highly effective. When learned and used correctly and conscientiously, Natural Family Planning is effective in avoiding pregnancy 99.5* percent of the time. Research has documented its effectiveness in achieving a pregnancy in the first cycle of use at 76 percent.

Why isn’t every married couple learning and using NFP? Good question. Perhaps it is because too many people simply don’t know the truth about it. NFP is not a repackaged version of the old calendar-based “rhythm method”-a misconception even doctors have today. Unfortunately, medical training in this area, in most cases, is often nonexistent or inadequate.

In addition to the medical benefits of using NFP, other benefits include the enhancement of the married couple’s sexuality, and placing responsibility for fertility on the man and the woman equally. This leads to a more loving cooperation in matters of sexuality and family planning. By learning NFP, the married couple comes to a deeper understanding of the physical aspect of sexuality and how it relates to the spiritual, mental and emotional aspects of life as well.

Finally, Natural Family Planning is a versatile method that can be used in all stages of reproductive life. The observations a woman makes as a user of NFP can be extremely helpful when seeking the assistance of a physician, should a reproductive problem arise, in the transition from one stage of life to another. These observations can help the physician diagnose and treat such problems as PMS, ovarian cysts, recurrent miscarriages and infertility. Natural Family Planning is easy to learn, inexpensive, and quickly becomes second nature to the married couples who use it. But most importantly, NFP brings together the physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of a couple’s fertility to enrich marriages by following God’s teachings and plan for their married lives

* J. Reprod. Med. 1998; 43:495-502

Dr. Jose Fernandez is a family practice physician in Kissimmee, Florida. (407) 847-9090

For more information on Natural Family Planning contact:

Billings Ovulation Method Assn (USA)

(651) 699-8139    www.Boma-usa.org

The Couple to Couple League

(800) 745-8252    www.ccli.org

Family of the Americas Foundation

(800) 443-3395    www.familyplanning.net

FertilityCare Centers of America

(402) 390-6600, ext. 117     www.fertilitycare.org

Marquette University Institute for NFP

(414) 288-3854   www.mu.edu/nursing/NFP

Natural Family Planning International

(740) 459-9663   www.nfpandmore.org

Northwest Family Services

(503) 215-6377    www.nwfs.org/couples-a-singles/natural-family-planning.html

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

(202) 541-3070     www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/

One More Soul

(800) 307-7685    www.onemoresoul.com

My husband Joe and I have four children; a good size by today’s standards, but paling in comparison to the large traditional Catholic families we were raised in. We both would have said at the start of our marriage we wanted an even larger family, but as the realities of marriage and parenting set in, we found ourselves overwhelmed, stressed, and losing steam fast for the challenge of more children. Like many modern Catholics, we decided the Church’s teaching on contraception was simply not conducive to our needs and lifestyle, and could be ignored without consequence, so we took control of our fertility. I wouldn’t have considered doing something to permanently end our fertility, as this seemed like “mental menopause,” and I really did love kids, especially babies. But after four very difficult pregnancies and raising four children, we were drained. Accumulated stress during those years had left me depressed and anxious. Most of the time I felt like a failure as a wife and mother. My sense of humor had been my lifeline to sanity during stressful times, but during those years I often felt both humor and sanity slipping away, and that was scary.

When our youngest was around 4, God began challenging me in my faith life, and eventually I came face to face with the Church’s teachings on contraception, marriage, and family life. Slowly and painfully, after much resisting, my stubborn heart acknowledged that we had been denying Him His rightful place in our marriage–in many ways, but largely though contraception. I gradually came to see marriage and parenting as the vocations they are, to be lived out for God, and that only with His grace can we meet the challenges and sacrifices they present. I came to embrace the beauty of Natural Family Planning, and, once my husband was also convinced, we set about trying to share the news with others in our families and parish. It was heartbreaking to see how many Catholics have never been taught the fullness of what marriage and family can be, or to appreciate the wisdom of the Church. We quickly found out this is not a message others want to hear, and we have had to learn that just as God worked on us slowly and patiently, we too had to be patient when trying to reach others.

In spite of all we were learning, we remained hesitant about having more children. Learning the teachings was one thing, putting them into practice was quite another. Years of bad habits in our marriage were not easily overcome, and as the kids grew and the dust settled after the whirlwind of toddlers and diapers, I still had great fears about enduring the suffering of pregnancy and of falling back into the depression and anxiety. I couldn’t bring myself to go there again. Yet we had always wanted a larger family, and in spite of many raised eyebrows over “all these children,” four just didn’t seem like a lot. I can’t count how many times–especially at the dinner table–I actually counted heads because it seemed like someone was missing. Even with four kids, things often seemed too quiet.

God continued to lead me deeper on my spiritual journey, but even as I grew in my knowledge of faith, I struggled to live it. I wanted Him to be in charge, yet couldn’t give up control; I wanted to be able to trust Him completely, but was terrified of what He might ask; I really wanted to embrace suffering for Him–as long as it didn’t hurt.

For many years we struggled with indecisiveness over having more children. During that time, a fierce battle raged in my heart over surrendering to God’s will for my life–in all areas but especially in the area of children. I was truly emotionally exhausted from the battle, but the fear was strong. Yet even as the fear persisted, so did the desire to ultimately do His will, and the passion to let others know about the lies of artificial contraception. Joe and I really worked at being open to whatever God wanted, but that door was open just the slightest crack, and some months we even slammed it shut again. With me approaching 40 and with time running out, God had to take drastic measures. He placed in my path the opportunity to work for One More Soul, an apostolate that promotes the blessings from having children and the benefits of Natural Family Planning. I seized the chance to do more to educate others, even as that fearful, struggling part of me often screamed “run!” I sensed instantly the “threat” that being surrounded by people who were constantly expounding the blessings of children posed to my vulnerable heart; that I was “in danger” of opening up even more. Slowly but surely, my resistance crumbled, and reluctantly I waved the white flag towards heaven, telling God “you win. I give up.” The fear never completely left my heart, but an incredible peace came to live alongside it, the peace of trusting God. During this time I felt very much like Peter, when Christ called Him out of the boat to walk on water. We would attempt to give God control, and briefly know that incredible joy of total trust–walking on water. That would last about two minutes, until I envisioned the real possibility of pregnancy, and then I would sink fast. But Jesus was always there, His strong arm pulling me out of the turbulent water.

Shortly after I hit 40 (it felt more like 40 hit me!), my husband and I took our children on vacation. We cherish family time since we know with two now in college these moments are slipping by all too fast. We looked forward to celebrating our anniversary on the trip, having had some struggles in our marriage over the last couple years and finally experiencing some real growth and renewal. The morning of our 20th wedding anniversary brought an unexpected gift. A positive pregnancy test confirmed the beautiful truth that had taken us too long to learn–God does have a plan for our lives; it is far better than what we alone could dream, and is not as frightening as we thought.

Yes, we are scared, but mostly we are humbled: humbled that God has been patient with our lack of trust in Him, humbled that He would allow our four older children to be overjoyed at welcoming a new life when other kids might be embarrassed or resistant, humbled that He would consider us–frail, weak, stumbling, and rebellious though we have been–as suitable instruments for building His kingdom.

We are now carried along by His grace, though still somewhat in shock. For years now I have “talked the talk,” now we’ll see if I can “waddle the walk.” Our faith is challenged by the knowledge of increased risk of miscarriage and other complications posed by my age. Our youngest will be almost thirteen when this baby is born; we will have a generation gap within our own family. My kids inherited good math skills from Joe, and they are constantly figuring out how old we will be when this baby starts school, graduates, etc. I find myself wondering if anyone has invented a wheelchair/stroller combo. Joe is back to square one with his carefully constructed budget, which will now have to allow for both college tuition and diapers. But these inconveniences are so small when we contemplate the miracle of life God has created, and, maybe even more amazing, the miracle of selfish, frightened human hearts surrendering to a divine plan.

There are stretch marks on my body from my previous four pregnancies, when the skin stretched to accommodate a new life. In my case, the skin didn’t quite shrink back as I would have liked, and there is now plenty of room for another baby. The marks are unsightly, but I consider them “battle scars” and worth the price. This time around, there are also stretch marks on my heart, from all the work God has done there to get me to this point. These stretch marks I definitely don’t mind, because there is now much more room for Him–and for whomever else He sends along. Anyway, He’s the only one who can see them, and I’m pretty sure to Him they are beautiful.

Editors Note:

Faith Elizabeth Heider was born March 30, 2004–7 pounds, 3 ounces–mother and baby doing fine (baby sleeping more than the mother!). Mom, Dad, and siblings feel greatly blessed by the gift of Faith.

What every woman needs to know

What is an IUD?

An Intrauterine Device (IUD) is a small object that is placed inside a woman’s uterus (womb) for the purpose of preventing or interrupting pregnancy. IUDs are considered to be long acting reversible methods of contraception (LARC).¹

Currently, there are two kinds of IUDs available in the United States: the Copper-T IUD, made from plastic and copper, and the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (IUS), a plastic device that releases hormones.

Is an IUD 100% effective?

No. The copper-T IUD has a clinical pregnancy rate of 0.8 per 100 women each year, and the IUS has a rate of 0.2 per 100 women each year.^2,3

How does an IUD work?

IUDs work against pregnancy in several ways. Some of these effects take place before fertilization, and others take place after the sperm and egg have united to form a new human being.

Both the copper-T and the IUS irritate the inner lining of the womb, causing inflammation.⁴ This is the same reaction the body has to any foreign object, such as a splinter under the skin. In the reproductive system, inflammation causes some cells to attack and destroy sperm, ova, and any newly formed embryo.

The copper-T IUD also releases copper continuously into the inside of the womb, and the copper spreads into the part of the Fallopian tubes near the womb. This copper can directly poison the ovum or the sperm. If fertilization occurs, the copper can also poison the embryo while it is still in the Fallopian tube, thus causing destruction of a new human life.⁴  

The IUS releases a synthetic hormone (progestin) that has several effects in the female reproductive system. In each normal cycle, the womb builds up tissue and chemicals that help with sperm survival and movement and also support implantation (the process by which a new embryo attaches to the womb to obtain nourishment to sustain life). The hormones released by the IUS (a) make the lining of the womb thinner so that sperm do not survive or move as well and, if fertilization occurs, the new embryo usually cannot implant in the mother’s womb,⁵ (b) can thicken the cervical mucus, reducing sperm movement and vitality, and (c) cause a small reduction in ovulation (about 15%). The new IUS with lower doses of progestin are unable to stop ovulation.⁶

Do the IUD and IUS cause abortion?

Using mathematical models, it has been estimated that a woman using the IUD will have from about 0.2 to 1.8 abortions (destruction of a new human life) per year caused specifically by the IUD/IUS.⁴

What are the risks from using an IUS?

• Embedment⁷
• Expulsion 
• Ovarian Cysts 
• Uterine/vaginal bleeding (occurs in 1 of 10 users)
• Long-term effects and congenital anomalies (if pregnancy occurs)
• Perforation (happens in 1 of 1,000 insertions)¹⁰
• According to the FDA more than 45,000 adverse effects have been reported by users of the IUS including expulsion, device dislocation and vaginal hemorrhage.¹¹
• Infection

What are the risks from using a Copper-T IUD?

• Uterus perforation 
• Bladder perforation 
• Spontaneous abortion
• Septic abortion
• Heavy bleeding
• Ectopic pregnancy⁸
• Pelvic inflammatory disease⁹
• Permanent sterility
• Allergy to copper
• Copper toxicity
• Anemia
• Backache

Warning! The IUD does NOT protect against sexually transmitted infections, including AIDS.

Does an IUD have a permanent effect on a woman’s fertility?

The synthetic hormone in the IUS can cause a delay in the return of menstruation and fertility after it is removed.

If perforation or pelvic infection occurs while using the IUD, the uterus or Fallopian tubes may become damaged, thus reducing the possibility of pregnancy.

In cases of perforation of the uterus, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be required, resulting in permanent sterility.

What are my options?

If you are single, abstinence is the best option and always works!

If you are married, the modern methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) are the safest, healthiest, and least expensive approaches to family planning.

References

1. Retrieved from http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Long-Acting-Reversible-Contraception-LARC-IUD-and-Implant February 6, 2015.

2. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/unintendedpregnancy/contraception.htm#Intrauterine-Contraception-IUD-IUS February 2, 2015.

3. Nelson A, Apter D, Hauck B, Schmelter T, Rybowski S, Rosen K, and Gemzell-Danielsson K. Two low-dose levonorgestrel intrauterine contraceptive systems: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet.Gynecol. 2013; 122(6): 1205-1213.

4. Stanford J MD MSPH. Mechanism of action of intrauterine devices: Update and estimation of post-fertilization effects. Am J Obstet Gynecol. December 2002; 187(6).

5. Ortiz ME, Croxatto HB.Copper T intrauterine device and olevonorgestrel intrauterine system: biological bases of their mechanism of action. Contraception 2007; 75: S42-S51.

6. Apter D, Gemzell-Danielsson K, Hauck B, Rosen K, Zurth C. Pharmacokinetics of two low-dose levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine systems and effects on ovulation rate and cervical function: pooled analyses of phase II and III studies. Fertil Steril 2014 Jun;101(6): 1656-62.e1-4.

7. http://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch/safetyinformation/safety-relateddruglabelingchanges/ucm121936.htm

8. Heinemann K, Reed S, and Moehner S. Ectopic Pregnancies under IUD use: Interim results from the EURAS-IUD study. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2013; 22(1): 430.

9. Sufrin CB, Postlethwaite D, Armstrong MA, Merchant M, Wendt JM, and Steinauer JE. Neisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis screening at intrauterine device insertion and pelvic inflammatory disease. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2012; 120(6):1314-1321.

10.Van Grootheest K, Sachs B, Harrison-Woolrych M, Caduff-Janosa P, and van Puijenbroek E. Uterine perforation with the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device: analysis of reports from four national pharmacovigilance centres. Drug Safety 1-1-2011; 34(1): 83-88.

11. Retrieved from http://www.drugwatch.com/mirena/lawsuit/ February 6, 2015.

Where can I learn more about  Natural Family Planning?

Billings Ovulation Method Assn. (USA)

(651) 699-8139     www.boma-usa.org

The Couple to Couple League

(800) 745-8252     www.ccli.org

Family of the Americas Foundation

(800) 443-3395     www.familyplanning.net

FertilityCare Centers of America

(402) 390-6600, ext. 117     www.fertilitycare.org

Marquette University Institute for NFP

(414) 288-3854     www.mu.edu/nursing/NFP

Natural Family Planning International

(740) 457-9663     www.nfpandmore.org

Northwest Family Services

(503) 215-6377     www.nwfs.org/couples-a-singles/natural-family-planning.html

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

(202) 541-3040     www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/

One More Soul

(800) 307-7685     www.onemoresoul.com

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!

Many in the pro-life movement are reluctant to make a connection between contraception and abortion. They insist that these are two very different acts–that there is all the difference in the world between contraception, which prevents a life from coming to be and abortion, which takes a life that has already begun.

With some contraceptives there is not only a link with abortion, there is an identity. Some contraceptives are abortifacients; they work by causing early term abortions. The IUD seems to prevent a fertilized egg–a new little human being- from implanting in the uterine wall. The pill does not always stop ovulation, but sometimes prevents implantation of the growing embryo. And, of course, the new RU-486 pill works altogether by aborting a new fetus, a new baby. Although some in the pro-life movement occasionally speak out against the contraceptives that are abortifacients, most generally steer clear of the issue of contraception.

Contraception creates alleged “need” for abortion

This seems to me to be a mistake. I think that we will not make good progress in creating a society where all new life can be safe, where we truly display a respect for life, where abortion is a terrible memory rather than a terrible reality until we see that there are many significant links between contraception and abortion and we bravely speak this truth. We need to realize that a society in which contraceptives are widely used is going to have a very difficult time keeping free of abortions since the lifestyles and attitudes that contraception fosters create an alleged “need” for abortion.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey

, the recent Supreme Court decision that confirmed Roe v. Wade, stated, “in some critical respects abortion is of the same character as the decision to use contraception… for two decades of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.”

The Supreme Court decision has made completely unnecessary any efforts to “expose” what is really behind the attachment of the modern age to abortion. As the Supreme Court candidly states, we need abortion so that we can continue our contraceptive lifestyles. It is not because contraceptives are ineffective that a million and half women a year seek abortions as backups to failed contraceptives. The “intimate relationships” facilitated by contraceptives are what make abortions “necessary.” “Intimate” here is a euphemism and a misleading one at that. Here the word “intimate” means “sexual”; it does not mean “loving and close.” Abortion is most often the result of sexual relationships in which there is little true intimacy and love, in which there is no room for a baby, the natural consequence of sexual intercourse.

Scholars question overpopulation scare

The Supreme Court, though, is unusually candid. Often, ostensibly more noble reasons are given for the enthusiasm for contraception. For instance, many think contraception crucial for controlling what is perceived to be a great population explosion. But most are unaware that there are very serious scholars who question the legitimacy of the scare of overpopulation in most countries on the earth. Scholars such as Ben Wattenberg, Julian Simon, and Jacqueline Kasun maintain that some countries, especially in the west, are facing problems of population replacement and that since we are not reproducing our population we will be in for some very hard economic times. These scholars think that much of the problem even in ostensibly overpopulated areas is political and economic rather than demographic, that is, the problem is not one of too many people, but of an improper distribution of goods.

But the topic here is not overpopulation or the merits of contraception as a means to fight overpopulation. Population control is not the primary source of the enthusiasm of the modern age for contraception. Rather, contraception currently is hailed as the solution to the problems consequent on the sexual revolution; many believe that better contraceptives and more responsible use of contraceptives will reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions and will prevent to some extent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

To support the argument that more responsible use of contraceptives would reduce the number of abortions, some note that most abortions are performed for “contraceptive purposes.” That is, few abortions are had because a woman has been a victim of rape or incest or because a pregnancy would endanger her life, or because she expects to have a handicapped or deformed newborn. Rather, most abortions are had because men and women who do not want a baby are having sexual intercourse and facing pregnancies they did not plan for and do not want. Because their contraceptive failed, or because they failed to use a contraceptive, they then resort to abortion as a backup. Many believe that if we could convince men and women to use contraceptives responsibly we would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and thus the number of abortions. Thirty years ago this position might have had some plausibility, but not now. We have lived for about thirty years with a culture permeated with contraceptive use and abortion; no longer can we think that greater access to contraception will reduce the number of abortions. Rather, wherever contraception is more readily available the number of unwanted pregnancies and the number of abortions increases greatly.

Sexual revolution not possible without contraception

The connection between contraception and abortion is primarily this: contraception facilitates the kind of relationships and even the kind of attitudes and moral characters that are likely to lead to abortion. The contraceptive mentality treats sexual intercourse as though it had little natural connection with babies; it thinks of babies as an “accident” of intercourse, as an unwelcome intrusion into a sexual relationship, as a burden. The sexual revolution has no fondness–no room for–the connection between sexual intercourse and babies. The sexual revolution simply was not possible until fairly reliable contraceptives were available.

Far from being a check to the sexual revolution, contraception is the fuel that facilitated the beginning of the sexual revolution and enables it to continue to rage. In the past, many men and women refrained from illicit sexual unions simply because they were not prepared for the responsibilities of parenthood. But once a fairly reliable contraceptive appeared on the scene, this barrier to sex outside the confines of marriage fell. The connection between sex and love also fell quickly; ever since contraception became widely used, there has been much talk of, acceptance of, and practice of casual sex and recreational sex. The deep meaning that is inherent in sexual intercourse has been lost sight of; the willingness to engage in sexual intercourse with another is no longer a result of a deep commitment to another. It no longer bespeaks a willingness to have a child with another and to have all the consequent entanglements with another that babies bring. Contraception helps reduce one’s sexual partner to just a sexual object as it renders sexual intercourse to be without any real commitments.

The casualness with which sexual unions are now entered is accompanied by a casualness and carelessness in the use of contraceptives. Studies show that the women having abortions are very knowledgeable about birth control methods; the great majority–eighty per cent–are experienced contraceptors but they display carelessness and indifference in their use of contraception for a variety of reasons. One researcher reports these reasons: she observes that some have broken up with their sexual partners and believe they will no longer need a contraceptive but they find themselves sexually active anyway.[1] Others dislike the physical exam required for the pill, or dislike the side effects of the pill and some are deterred by what inconvenience or difficulty there is in getting contraceptives. Many unmarried women do not like to think of themselves as sexually active; using contraceptives conflicts with their preferred self-image. The failure to use birth control is a sign that many women are not comfortable with being sexually active. That is, many of the women are engaged in an activity that, for some reason, they do not wish to admit to themselves.

Frequently, aborted pregnancies are planned

One researcher, Kristin Luker, a pro-abortion social scientist, in a book entitled Taking Chances: Abortion and the Decision Not to Contracept attempted to discover why, with contraceptives so widely available, so many women, virtually all knowledgeable about contraception, had unwanted pregnancies and abortions.[2] The conclusions of her studies suggest that it is not simple “carelessness” or “irresponsibility” that lead women to have abortions, but that frequently the pregnancies that are aborted are planned or the result of a calculated risk. She begins by dismissing some of the commonly held views about why women get abortions; she denies that they are usually had by panic-stricken youngsters or that they are had by unmarried women who would otherwise have had illegitimate births. She also maintains that statistics do not show that abortion is an act of final desperation used by poor women and “welfare mothers” or that abortion is often sought by women who have more children than they can handle. What she attempts to discern is what reason women had for not using contraception although they were contraceptively experienced and knew the risks involved in not using contraception.[3] Luker seeks to substantiate in her study that, “unwanted pregnancy is the end result of an informed decision-making process. That pregnancy occurred anyway, for the women in this study, is because most of them were attempting to achieve more diffuse goals than simply preventing pregnancy.”[4]

Luker argues that for these women (who are having non-contracepted sex, but who are not intending to have babies), using contraceptives has certain “costs” and getting pregnant has certain “benefits.” The women make a calculation that the benefits of not using contraception and the benefits of a pregnancy outweigh the risks of getting pregnant and the need to have an abortion. She concurs that many women prefer “spontaneous sex” and do not like thinking of themselves as “sexually active.” She notes that some wondered whether or not they were fertile and thus did not take contraceptives.[5] The “benefits” of a pregnancy for many women were many; pregnancy proves “that one is a woman,”[6] or that one is fertile;[7] it provides an excuse for “forcing a definition in the relationship”;[8] it “forces a woman’s or girl’s parents to deal with her”;[9] it is used as a “psychological organizing technique.”

In the end, almost all of the unmarried women Luker interviewed had the option to marry (and supposedly to complete the pregnancy) but none chose this option. Luker attributes this to unwillingness of women to get married under such conditions, to the disparity between this kind of marriage and their fantasy marriage, and to their belief that they were responsible for the pregnancy, and thus they had no claim on the male’s support.[10] One of her examples is of an unmarried woman who did not like using the pill because it made her gain weight. Coupled with this was her wish to force her boyfriend to openly admit his relationship with her to his parents who rejected her, and possibly to force marriage and thus she decided not to use contraception.[11] Upon becoming pregnant, this woman had an abortion.

“Carelessness” is intentional

Much of this data suggests that there is something deep in our natures that finds the severing of sexual intercourse from love and commitment and babies to be unsatisfactory. As we have seen, women are careless in their use of contraceptives for a variety of reasons, but one reason for their careless use of contraceptives is precisely their desire to engage in meaningful sexual activity rather than in meaningless sexual activity. They want their sexual acts to be more meaningful than a handshake or a meal shared. They are profoundly uncomfortable with using contraceptives for what they do to their bodies and for what they do to their relationships. Often, they desire to have a more committed relationship with the male with whom they are involved; they get pregnant to test his love and commitment. But since the relationship has not been made permanent, since no vows have been taken, they are profoundly ambivalent about any pregnancy that might occur. They are very likely to abort a pregnancy they may even have desired. It may sound farfetched to claim that some women may in some sense “plan” or “desire” the very pregnancies that they abort but this analysis is borne out by studies done by pro-abortion sociologists.

Why do women engage in such self-destructive behavior? Again, a large part of the reason is the incredible emphasis the modern age places on freedom–not on the true freedom we all desire, the freedom to be able to pursue what is good and true, but on a kind of freedom that more closely resembles license–the freedom to do whatever one wants, regardless of what is good and true. We want to be free not to discover what is good and true, but to be free to define what is good and true.

Again, we find explicit verification for our desire to define reality in Planned Parenthood v. Casey which states “at the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, of the mystery of human life.” Surely everyone is entitled to define his or her “concepts” but when these “concepts” are translated into action, the public has a right to protect others against vicious behavior issuing from those concepts. Some have the “concept” that individuals of certain races or ethnic groups are inferior and are not entitled to equal rights. Surely, they are entitled to that concept, however erroneous it may be, but they are not entitled to impose their concepts on others. Not all concepts are created equal!

We prefer our freedom over what is good

Ultimately, the modern age is shockingly anarchistic in its attitudes. Even in free societies, laws are seen to be largely unwelcome restraints on human freedom; restraints we allow simply so that great harm is not done to individuals–but the fewer restraints we have the better. We have largely lost the sense that laws can put proper restraints on human freedom and be essential to protecting human goods. We see some connection between laws and justice–but largely we prefer laws that protect our freedoms rather than laws that advance our good. For instance, although few maintain that pornography is anything other than harmful for a culture, it is generally tolerated because we prefer our freedom over what is good. After the Enlightenment, the view that man is fundamentally good, and that his freedom to be whatever he wants to be is his most important characteristic, became pervasive. This view was accompanied by a lack of appreciation for the transcendent, by a view of man as just a more highly developed animal. As Nietzsche taught, man ought not to control his passions by his reason, but ought to use his reason to help him to fulfill his passions; to help him to grab whatever happiness he can in this ultimately meaningless universe. This view replaced the Christian vision of man as a guest in God’s universe, a creature flawed by original sin, yet God’s most exalted creation, who through obedience to the laws of nature and of God and through grace, was on a journey to eternal union with God.

Sexual promiscuity increases

By the late sixties and early seventies, the view of the human person as an animal whose passions should govern became firmly entrenched in the attitudes of those who were promoting the sexual revolution. One of the greatest agents and promoters of the sexual revolution has been Planned Parenthood.[12] In the sixties and seventies many of the spokesmen and women for Planned Parenthood unashamedly advocated sex outside of marriage and even promoted promiscuity. Young people were told to abandon the repressive morals of their parents and to engage in free love. They were told that active sexual lives with a number of partners would be psychologically healthy, perfectly normal, and perfectly moral. Now, largely because of the spread of AIDS and the devastations of teenage pregnancy, even Planned Parenthood puts a value on abstinence. Yet they have no confidence that young people can and will abstain from sexual intercourse, so they advocate “safe” sex, “responsible” sex, whereby they mean sexual intercourse wherein a contraceptive is used. Sex educators assume that young people will be engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage (a self-fulfilling assumption in some respects); thus the chief goal of their programs is to get them to use contraception. Planned Parenthood thinks that sex education will reduce the number of pregnancies and thus the number of abortions. But, again, all the studies show that sex education programs inspired by Planned Parenthood lead to more sexual promiscuity, more teen pregnancy, and more abortion.

Young people do not need sex education of the Planned Parenthood type; they need to learn that sexual intercourse can be engaged in responsibly and safely only within marriage. Rather than filling young people’s heads with false notions about freedom, and filling their wallets with condoms, we need to help them see the true meaning of human sexuality. We need to help them learn self-control and self-mastery so that they are not enslaved to their sexual passions. They need to learn that sexual intercourse belongs within marriage, and that with the commitment to marriage comes true freedom; the freedom to give of one’s self completely to another, the freedom to meet one’s responsibilities to one’s children.

There are two cornerstones on which education for sexual responsibility should be built–cornerstones that are both corroded by contraceptive sex. One cornerstone is that sexual intercourse is meant to be the expression of a deep love for another individual, a deep love that leads one to want to give of oneself totally to another. Most individuals hope one day to be in a faithful marriage, to be in a marital relationship with someone one loves deeply and by whom one is loved deeply. One of the major components of that deep love is a promise of faithfulness, that one will give oneself sexually only to one’s spouse. For many it seems odd to speak of the need to be faithful to one’s spouse before marriage, but such is the case. In a sense, one should love one’s spouse before one even meets him or her. One should be preparing to be a good lover, a good spouse, one’s whole life. This means reserving the giving of one’s self sexually until one is married–for in a sense, one’s sexuality belongs to one’s future spouse as much as it does to one’s self. A few generations ago, it was not uncommon for young people to speak of “saving themselves” for marriage. It is a phrase scoffed at today, but one that is nonetheless indicative of a proper understanding of love, sexuality, and marriage. One should prepare one’s self for marriage and one should save one’s self for marriage.

Much damage can be done to the self through sexual intercourse outside of marriage; many come to feel that they have been exploited and that they have exploited others; many experience great alienation and lose the ability to trust another completely. Or the sexual pleasure they are experiencing hinders their ability to get to know the true character of their sexual partner and they make bad judgments about who to marry.[13] We should try to help young people see why they should not take the easy, foolish, and self-destructive path of partaking in meaningless contraceptive sex before marriage.

Contraception severs connection between sex and babies

The other cornerstone for a sex education program should be the refrain that if you are not ready for babies, you are not ready for sexual intercourse, and you are not ready for babies until you are married. Most people want to be good parents; they want to provide for their children and give them good upbringings. Contraception attempts to sever the connection between sexual intercourse and babies; it makes us feel responsible about our sexuality while enabling us to be irresponsible. Individuals born out of wedlock have a much harder start in life; have a much harder time gaining the discipline and strength they need to be responsible adults. Single mothers have very hard lives as they struggle to meet the needs of their children and their own emotional needs as well. Those who abort their babies are often left with devastating psychological scars. The price of out of wedlock pregnancy is high.

Indeed, even within marriage, contraception is destructive; it reduces the meaning of the sexual act; again it takes out the great commitment that is written into the sexual act, the commitment that is inherent in the openness to having children with one’s beloved.

Thus, it should be no surprise that unlike contraceptors, those using methods of natural family planning are highly unlikely to resort to abortion should an unplanned pregnancy occur. Some argue that couples using natural family planning are as closed to having babies as are those that use contraceptives; that they too wish to engage in “babyfree” sexual intercourse. But the crucial difference is that those using NFP are not engaging in an act whose nature they wish to thwart; they are keeping to the principles of sexual responsibility. Their sexual acts remain as open to procreation as nature permits. They are refraining from sexual intercourse when they know they may conceive and engaging in sexual intercourse when they are unable to conceive–precisely because of their desire to be responsible about child-rearing.

Those who abort generally have contracepted

One real telltale difference between contraception and natural family planning is that those who abort generally have contracepted; those who use natural family planning almost never abort. When those using natural family planning get pregnant unintentionally, they fully accept the pregnancy. Generally they practice NFP not to avoid pregnancy entirely, but because they would like to delay a pregnancy. They generally love children and want to have them–so although a pregnancy may be inconvenient at times, it is not disastrous. It is not insignificant that NFP is used only by those who are married; they have the mutual trust and commitment to be able to practice the method.

On the other hand, those using contraception who get pregnant unexpectedly, are generally very angry, since they did everything they could to prevent a pregnancy. Those who are unmarried do face a disaster and abortion seems like a necessity since no permanent commitment has been made between the sexual partners. Those who are married have often planned a life that is not receptive to children and are tempted to abort to sustain the child-free life they have designed. I am not, of course, saying that all those who contracept are likely to abort; I am saying that many more of those who contracept do abort than those who practice natural family planning.

Contraception takes the baby-making element out of sexual intercourse. It makes pregnancy seem like an accident of sexual intercourse rather than the natural consequence that responsible individuals ought to be prepared for. Abortion, then, becomes thinkable as the solution to an unwanted pregnancy. Contraception enables those who are not prepared to care for babies to engage in sexual intercourse; when they become pregnant, they resent the unborn child for intruding itself upon their lives, and they turn to the solution of abortion. It should be no surprise that countries that are permeated by contraceptive sex, fight harder for access to abortion than they do to ensure that all babies can survive both in the womb and out. It is foolish for pro-lifers to think that they can avoid the issues of contraception and sexual irresponsibility and be successful in the fight against abortion. For, as the Supreme Court stated, abortion is “necessary” for those whose intimate relationships are based upon contraceptive sex.

References

1 Mary K Zimmerman, Passage Through Abortion (New York: 1977) 2 Kristin Luker, Taking Chances: Abortion and the Decision Not to Contracept (Berkley: 1975) 3 Luker, 16 4 Luker, 32 5 Luker, 62-63 6 Luker, 65 7 Luker, 68 8 Luker, 70 9 Luker, 71 10 Luker, 123 11 Luker, 83 12 For verification of the claims here made about Planned Parenthood, see George Grant, Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth and Hyatt Publishers, Inc., 1988) and Robert Marshall and Charles Donovan, Blessed are the Barren (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 1991) 13 For a good pastoral discussion of the evils of premarital sex, see James T. Burtchaell, For Better or Worse (New Jersey, Paulist Press, 1985)

Janet E. Smith is a Visiting Professor of Life Issues at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later (CUA Press, Washington, DC, 1991) and editor of Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993) and of many articles on ethical and bioethics issues. She speaks nationally and internationally on life issues. Over 400,000 copies of her tape “Contraception: Why Not” have been distributed.

How are children a blessing?

The Churchs teaching on contraception is not just a prohibition but a calling to the joy of parenthood. Procreation of children, far greater than an obligation, is an outpouring of Gods love to spouses, who in turn pour out their love to their children. Parents accordingly become mediators, instruments, and ministers of Gods love. This sharing in Gods love of His children, as is true of all instances in which we share in the administration of Gods gifts, heightens our dignity, conforms us to Christ, and deepens our self-knowledge.

The transmission of human life is a prerogative so cherished by God that it has been entrusted only to the covenantal union of man and wife. That is why openness to procreation is essential to the vocation of marriage.1 Yes, marriage is a vocation raised by Christ to the level of a sacrament. Like all the sacraments, marriage is an encounter with Christ that nourishes ones own earthly pilgrimage as Gods life and love (grace) is poured into ones soul. Yet God in his abundance fills the soul to overflowing, surging beyond our boundaries so that we become vessels of his love. In so doing, we become living images of Christ in the world.

Children are the incarnation of married love; the material overflowing of two becoming one. Love is always life-giving, always open to the other, always expansive. Those who love find no greater joy than to extend love to others. Children are the natural extension of the love of spousesthe visible sign of the fruitfulness of self-emptying loveand a means of ever deepening joy in marriage.

This is not to say that having children will create a perpetual state of marital bliss. Children involve sacrifice, but sacrifice is the fuel of love. It authenticates love, purifies its motives, and makes it more Christ-like. Indeed, the self-emptying love that is necessary for the raising of children is not only an imitation of Christs self-offering, but a real participation in it. The procreation of children is an exercise of our common priesthood: like Christ, who offered himself as priest and victim, we offer ourselves as a gift to our spouse and children for their good and for ours. For by offering ourselves to others we learn who we really are: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10:39)

The Crucifix that hangs above the marriage bed of so many Catholic households takes on new meaning in this light. In the same way that the cross effected a self-emptying offering that literally produced children for God, the marriage bed effects a sharing in this once-for-all sacrifice to produce children for God. It is no mere metaphor that Christ refers to his Church as His bride and to Himself as the Bridegroom. On Holy Thursday, Christ proclaimed his marriage vows”This is my body which will be given up for you”and on Good Friday He consummated the marriage on the Cross. For this reason two of the Doctors of the Catholic Church, St. Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross, likened the Cross to the marriage bed. Jesus formed a union with the people of God, He consummated it on the cross to bring forth divine progeny, and He appointed marriage as the sacramental sign of this marvelous offering (cf. Eph 5:25-32).

That the rearing of children engenders self-sacrificial love in parents is an essential element of the marriage vocation but children must be seen not only in their benefits to the marriage. On the contrary, a child is a supreme good in and of himself (cf. John Paul II Letter to Families No. 11). What gift is more precious than life itself? Into the marriage is sent a new person who did not exist before, an immortal soul created by God through an intimate expression of love between husband and wife. A child is the consummate instance of Gods miraculous intervention in the lives of his people. How can we not welcome such a magnificent blessing? How can we refuse such a generous calling?

That children are the “supreme gift” of marriage and an essential element of marital love has been the subject of a number of Papal audiences from Pope John Paul II:

Gods blessing is at the origin not only of marital communion, but also of a responsible and generous openness to life. Children really are the “springtime of the family and society”It is in children that marriage blossoms: they crown that total partnership of life which makes husband and wife “one flesh”; this is true both of the children born from the natural relationship of the spouses and those desired through adoption. Children are not an “accessory” to the project of married life. They are not an “option,” but a “supreme gift,” inscribed in the very structure of the conjugal union. The Church, as you know, teaches an ethic of respect for this fundamental structure in both its unitive and procreative meaning. In all this, it expresses the proper regard for Gods plan, sketching an image of conjugal relations that are marked by mutual and unreserved acceptance. Above all, it addresses the right of children to be born and to grow in a context of fully human love. In conforming to the word of God, families thus become a school of humanization and true solidarity. (Sunday Homily, Jubilee of Families, October 15, 2000)

In choosing marriage as our vocation, we accept, prospectively, the gift of children. In fact the vows taken in marriage require our assent to “accept children from God lovingly and bring them up according to the law of Christ and His Church.” This is a sacred pledge to God and spouse before witnessesa vow that if kept produces new life that quickens our will to love and enlivens our outlook. Pope John Paul II spoke poetically to this point in an October 14, 2000, address to families:

Do not children themselves in a way continually “examine” their parents? They do so not only with their frequent “whys?”, but with their very faces, sometimes smiling, sometimes misty with sadness. It is as if a question were inscribed in their whole existence, a question which is expressed in the most varied ways, even in their whims, and which we could put into questions like these: Mama, papa, do you love me? Am I really a gift to you? Do you accept me for what I am? Do you always try to do what is really best for me?

These questions perhaps are asked more with their eyes than in words, but they hold parents to their great responsibility and are in some way an echo of Gods voice for them.

Children are a “springtime”: what does this metaphor chosen for your Jubilee mean?

It takes us into that panorama of life, colors, light, and song which belongs to the spring season. Children are all of this by nature. They are the hope that continually blossoms, a project that starts ever anew, the future that opens without ceasing. They represent the flowering of married love, which is found and strengthened in them. At their birth they bring a message of life, which, in the ultimate analysis, refers back to the very Author of life. In need of everything as they are especially in the first stage of life, they naturally appeal to our solidarity.

Not by chance did Jesus invite his disciples to have a childs heart. Today, dear families, you wish to give thanks for the gift of children and, at the same time, to accept the message that God sends you through their existence (Third World Meeting with Families).

Jesus taught, “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Lk. 18:16). Children are the model of a kingdom people. They are the living symbol of hope, innocence, and life itself. Indeed, Jesus came to us as a child, bearing in his infancy a new beginning for humanity. How fitting that our restoration would be revealed to us in the new life of a tender little baby. Every newborn child reminds us of our capacity for renewal and our unique ability to shape the future of Gods kingdom.

This pamphlet is drawn from Chapter 8 of Called to Give Life by Jason T. Adams. Jason Adams is a father of five and the Theology Chair at Guerin Catholic High School, Noblesville, Indiana. Jason and Linda have used Natural Family Planning to successfully postpone and achieve pregnancy throughout their marriage, and have shared their testimony to its benefits in Pre-Cana, RCIA, young adult/youth groups, and other venues.

Getting to the root of the problem.

Dear Pro-Life Friend,

Here are some thoughts on how we can, together, defeat the culture of death.

We write to you with great gratitude for all you do to protect the rights of the preborn, and appeal to you as a coworker for life to let us share with you what we believe is the key to winning the war against abortion.

Mary Ann Walsh and I began One More Soul in 1992, when our pro-life work led us to realize that something was missing in the pro-life message. We began to see the contra-ceptive lifestyle as the driving force behind abortion, and that abortion could not be defeated without turning people away from contraception. We saw this would be a tough battle because many people, even many faithful Christiansincluding many dedicated pro-life advocateshave accepted contraception without knowing where it leads. Please read further as we explain how this happened and what we can do about it.

First of all, we know that personal use of contraception often leads directly to surgical abortion. According to surveys of the Alan Guttmacher Institute (Planned Parenthoods research arm) two thirds of women seeking a pregnancy test or an abortion claim they were using a contraceptive the month they got pregnant. This is consistent with what pregnancy help centers see with their clients. Thus, it is clear that contraceptives are often used in circumstances for which pregnancy is seen as highly undesirable, thus leading to abortion.

Secondly, hormonal contraceptives (such as the Pill) can also act by causing abortions. One of their functions is to thin the lining of the uterus, which inhibits the one week old embryo from implanting, and causes it to be expelled with the next menstrual flow. Since we know that pregnancies do occur while women are using hormonal contraceptives, it is probable that these early abortions are also occurring. The Food and Drug Administration, in the Physicians Desk Reference, states, “Although the primary mechanism of this action (of oral contraceptives) is inhibition of ovulation, other alterations include … changes in the endometrium, which reduce the likelihood of implantation.”

Also, many individuals and groups see a connection between contraception and abortion. So called “pro-choice” groups always include access to both contraceptives and abortion in “reproductive rights” and seek legal protection and health insurance coverage for both. John Paul II refers to contraception and abortion as “fruits of the same tree.”

For us, this evidence is quite compellingcontraception leads to abortion, not all the time, but often enough that we should see contraception as a source of the problem. Those of us who work to educate people that the pre-born child is a human being need to examine our own attitudes regarding respect for life. If we regard children as blessings from God, why would we use powerful hormones or other means to avoid the “threat” of conception? Are we not reflecting the same fear of pregnancy that motivates women to seek abortion?

The key to eliminating abortion lies in lifestyle change. As a pregnancy help center, you have direct contact with many young women who are abortion minded, sexually active, or trying to be chaste. Our “Fertility Appreciation” program can be a valuable tool in promoting a chaste lifestyle. Many young women are sadly ignorant of how their reproductive systems work. Knowledge of monthly changes their bodies undergo can instill in them a wonderful sense of self-respect. By understanding Gods plan for marriage and sex (in that order), they are more likely to view their sexuality as a gift to be saved for marriage. Fertility appreciation programs do not teach people how to be promiscuous without “consequences.” Instead they emphasize the benefits of self-control, the sacredness of a healthy marriage commitment, and a sense that they are truly “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image and likeness of God.

In addition to the fertility appreciation program, there are many other tools that can promote healthy behavior change. We, at One More Soul, would like to provide you with the resources you need to develop the Culture of Life. Let us know what we can do for you and with you!

May God bless you and your work!

Steve Koob

Director, One More Soul

P.S. There is no more powerful statement confirming contraceptive use as a cause for legalized abortion than the following excerpt from the Supreme Courts Planned Parenthood v Casey decision on 29 June 1992:

“. . . for two decades (since Roe v Wade) of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.”

How we got from contraception for “serious” reasons to abortion (even partial-birth abortion/infanticide) for any and all reasons,

and how to get back to sanity

How we got here

In August 1930, the assembled bishops of the Anglican Church broke with 1900 years of unanimous Christian teaching to announce that a couple having a, “clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood . . . decided on Christian principles,” were permitted to avoid parenthood by methods other than abstinence. Within a few years all major Christian denominations other than the Catholic Church had adopted a similar position. The principle of sexual enjoyment without family obligations was clearly proclaimed and the sexual revolution was underway.

Actually the drive for sexual pleasure without commitment has been with us throughout recorded history and certainly reaches farther back than that. John T Noonans book Contraception describes the crude barrier and chemical efforts that have been used to thwart conception and/or cause abortion. Contraceptive technology and especially social acceptance, however, hit historic highs in the early 1900s.

During this same era, Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League and began circulating information on contraception in New York. Her organization grew to become the Planned Parenthood Federation of Americanow the largest purveyor of contraception and abortion in the world.

Condoms were made readily available to our servicemen in both WWI and WWII. Condom use was strongly encouraged to protect against STDs from foreign prostitutes. This wartime experience was the basis for condom demand by servicemen returning to their wives and sweethearts. The greater demand, plus flouting of laws against interstate transportation of contraceptives, caused these laws to be challenged, leading to the Supreme Court decision overturning them throughout the land in Griswold v Connecticut (1965). In this case the court appealed to a new Constitutional right of “privacy.”

As use of contraceptives increased through the 20th Century, growth in rates of divorce and births to unwed mothers also increased. Margaret Sangers legacy continued in the many organizations touting Planned Parenthood, radical feminism, and the overpopulation myth. Although abortion was illegal in every state, abortions were done quietly by reputable physicians, unlicensed medical personnel, and women themselves, using crude and unsterile instruments, chemical potions, or trauma to the abdomen.

Invention of the Oral Contraceptive Pill (the Pill) in the fifties and its wide distribution in the sixties changed the American culture virtually overnight. Average family size was greatly reduced, mothers took jobs outside the home, day care became a growth industry, and morality declined. The Pills promise of baby-free sex made sexual activity much more common. The Pills success in preventing births not only allowed husband and wife to be closed to new life, but also facilitated those tempted by extramarital and premarital liaisons. Engaged couples, collegians, and teenagersquite vulnerable to these temptationsfelt the Pill was fail-safe. Contraception greatly reduced their fears that immoral behavior would be exposed.

This ready availability of the Pill resulted in increased interest in all sexual activity, as one could readily see by the content of music, movies, television, and advertising. It was easy to perceive that everybody was “having sex” and having great fun at it without worrying about creating babies.

This increased sexual activity, inherent imperfections in the contraceptives, and the foggy notion that sex no longer resulted in babies, actually resulted in large numbers of very real pregnanciesbabies that were unexpected and unwanted and an embarrassment. For these parents who didnt want to be parents, abortion seemed to be the only way out.

Abortions were taking place in spite of the laws prohibiting them. Abortion was hard to prosecutewho wanted to? It was much easier to change the law than to enforce it. Individual states like Hawaii and New York legalized abortion. Pressure mounted for a national reversal of anti-abortion laws. A case was contrived and wound its way to the Supreme Court. The Roe v Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide on 22 January 1973. This decision was based on the same premise of “privacy” as was used to legalize availability of contraceptives in Griswold v Connecticut only eight years earlier.

In Planned Parenthood v Casey, 29 June, 1992, the Supreme Court made it clear that the prevalence of contraception in society makes abortion necessary. Explaining their decision to protect the right of abortion without restriction throughout pregnancy, the court stated:

. . . for two decades of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.

Consequences of this increased “freedom” in sexual matters are fairly obvious, starting with a huge increase in sexually transmitted disease and progressive breakdown of traditional marriage. Single parent families became our fastest growing poverty class, and children in these families often experienced poor health (no insurance), low academic achievement, and high crime rates. The still intact and financially capable families fled to the suburbs, leaving the poor to fend for themselves in the inner cities. Birth control led to dysfunctional families, resulting in dysfunctional communities.

Planned Parenthood (and its ilk) found the inner city attractive for abortion clinic locations that would eliminate the unfit and burdensome those who were a financial drain on government and charity. Between 1973 and 2003 there have been approximately 40 million reported surgical abortions in the United States. Unreported surgical abortions, and the uncountable losses caused by hormonal birth control and IUDs, may exceed 100 million for this period.

We cannot ignore contraception as cause/stimulus/catalyst for abortion, and we must not ignore the impact that birth control (contraception and abortion”fruits of the same tree”) has had on our society. To do so is to guarantee that the landscape will not change.

How to get back

In spite of the dismal narrative above, there are reasons to be hopeful.

1) Recognizing the cause of a problem is an essential step in solving the problem. Contraception causes abortion, directly and indirectly. If you want to impact abortion, you need to address contraception.

2) We have learned that children, young adults, and married couples need to be taught how to choose and hold on to strong loving relationships. It does not now happen automatically, nor is there the strong social support there once was. This positive education is happening in the wonderful chastity-promoting movements for young people and through the dedicated individuals and organizations promoting Natural Family Planning.

3) We also have learned that there is one “pressure point” for the culture of death that can cause it to implode. Contraception was, and still is, an experiment in pseudo-medical social engineering that has dramatically failed in every possible way: womens health, family strength, well-being of children, womens social standing, and in all other categories for which its promoters predicted benefits. Even the very questionable “benefit” of population control was only achieved by massive provision of sterilization and abortion along with contraception. [Editors Note: 2001 is the first year since 1970 that the birth rate for American women exceeded the population replacement rate of 2.2 children per woman.]

The challenge, then, is to teach people how to find the best value for their livesthe benefit of rejecting contraception and accepting children as the supreme gift of marriage that they are. We can and must create and use the resources necessary to teach single people how and why to respect their sexuality and to live without the grief and burdens of false sexual “freedom.” We must also provide married couples with the resources they need to choose openness to children over contraception. The range of possible resources is wide: TV, radio, movies, church sermons, books, pamphlets, audiotapes, videos, artwork, etc. Any of these vehicles can communicate the huge advantages of a chaste life over sexual chaos.

The results will be very impressivestrong, satisfying marriages, economic welfare for families, healthy women, healthy and happy children, and lives full of meaning. All these directly result from lifestyles in which sexual conduct supports and sustains human life instead of attacking it. This way of life recognizes the dual purpose of sex: bonding and babies, and honors a childs great need to have two parents bound together in a life-long commitment. This could be achieved in our generation! The culture of death has nothing to offer that can compare with this. All we have to do is get the message out!

One More Soul is committed to find or create the best resources for promoting this message. Let us know how we can work with you.

Contact One More Soul and mention this pamphlet for a free audiotape: “The Startling Connection between Contraception and Abortion,” by Janet E. Smith, PhD, and a One More Soul Resource Guide.

There is an old saying “You can take the boy off the farm, but you can never take the farm out of the boy!” Likewise, I may have left the NFP Position*, but the Churchs position on NFP will never leave me! Proclaiming the “good news” of NFP has been a passion for me. Much of Larry and my 28 years of marriage has been devoted to promoting Gods beautiful gift of fertility awareness. You can be sure that I will not miss an opportunity to share Gods plan for marriage and family just as I have always done outside office hours. Many opportunities arise, and rarely are we the ones to bring up the subject. It simply comes up, and we take advantage of it.

Larry and I maintain that most people do not use NFP simply because they are either uninformed or misinformed. When sharing the “good news” it is imperative that we witness with charity and clarity. Therefore, it is vital to ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit to give us the words to say when these opportunities arise. He never fails.

Wherever we go, we carry NFP information with us. NFP brochures and schedules are thin and flattaking up such little space in a purse or briefcase. We pack a few of Dr. Janet Smiths CONTRACEPTION: Why Not tapes which have converted the hearts and changed the lifestyles of so many. In addition to the information on our 5 local NFP Providers, I always carry the web sites for their national headquarters for classes in other states.

Last winter in Florida, we met a young couple in the motel lobby. The woman was reading a book by Dr. Dobson, so already we were on familiar turf. She asked me if I worked outside the home, and I explained very briefly what I did. She was anxious to know more. She had 4 childrenthe last a difficult pregnancy. Her doctor recommended sterilization. She refused; so he prescribed the Pill. As a result, she suffered a minor stroke. While our husbands were catching the scores of the golf tournament, I enthusiastically shared the “good news” of NFP. She asked if I carried any information. Indeed, I did! I gave her our generic NFP brochure+, the CONTRACEPTION: Why Not tape, and the names and web sites for 5 large NFP organizations. She stated that Divine Providence must have brought us together. This woman later sent me a “thank you” note, expressing her gratitude to God for sending an angel to her with an answer to prayers! Im certainly no angel, but God did use me to carry His message that day.

On a business trip with Larry a few years ago in Puerto Rico, a Christian woman sitting beside me by the ocean struck up a conversation. She observed that I must be Christian also from the book I was reading. It didnt take long before she told me her daughter had been on the Pill long before she was married for irregular and painful periods. I shared with her the many consequences of the Pill in addition to the abortifacient properties. She was very concerned and asked for more information. I reached into my beach bag and gave her the brochure on the Pill, NFP, and safe alternatives for cramping, etc. After returning home her daughter contacted me. She and her husband attended NFP classes and were so thrilled that they have shared the “good news” with several Christian friends who have also become avid NFP users. This young couple is now overjoyed as they await the birth of their first child.

A similar experience happened in Phoenix. A lovely, young, ecology-minded Christian woman who first heard about NFP from our conversations, later contacted me by e-mail. She asked me to please send as much information as I could for a Bible Study she was in with 10 other women who wanted to learn more! She offered to pay for whatever information I could send. Well, their interest and enthusiasm was pay enough! I sent several tapes, brochures, and web sites. The women were ecstatic! They expressed how awesome God is and how they had been deceived about the Pill.

Opportunities arise when you least expect. Dont forget to carry your NFP brochure and small schedule of classes with you. Keep a list of the NFP groups and web sites in your wallet for those acquaintances out of town. Remember, too, that while it is important to witness, we can lose someone if we oversell. So always call on the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say and to quiet you when youve said enough.

For information on ordering brochures and class schedules, contact your local diocesan Family Life Office. For Professor Janet Smiths tapes and other resources, call One More Soul (800) 307-7685 or visit www.OMSoul.com.

Billings Ovulation Method: (Telephone: 651-699-8139)

www.boma-usa.org

Couple to Couple League: (Telephone: 513-471-2000)

www.ccli.org

Creighton Model Ovulation Method: (Telephone: 402-390-6600)

www.popepaulvi.com

Family of the Americas Foundation: (Telephone: 800-443-3395)

www.familyplanning.net

Northwest Family Services: (Telephone: 503-215-6377)

www.nwfs.org

A Pastoral Letter by Bishop Victor Galeone

My brothers and sisters in the Lord,

1. Some state legislatures are presently considering bills that would redefine marriage as the stable union of any two adults regardless of gender. Such legislation would equate same-sex unions with traditional marriage. Furthermore, divorces continue to escalate to the point where couples may now get a bona fide divorce online for fees ranging from $50 to $300. These latest develop-ments are mere symptoms of a vastly more serious disorder. Until the taproot of that disorder is cut, I fear that we will continue to reap the fruit of failed marriages and worsening sexual behavior at every level of society. The disorder? Contraception. The practice is so widespread that it involves 90% of married couples at some point of their marriage, cutting across all denominational lines. Since one of the chief roles of the bishop is to teach, I invite you to revisit what the Church affirms in this area, and more importantly, why.

I. Gods Plan for Marriage

2. The vast majority of people today consider contraception a non-issue. So much so that to label it a disorder sounds like a gross exaggeration. And to revisit it seems analogous to studying a treatise from the Flat Earth Society. But contraception is an issue, an absolutely vital issue. To comprehend why it is wrong, its first necessary to understand what God originally intended marriage to be. In the opening chapters of Genesis we learn that God himself designed marriage for a twofold purpose: to communicate life and love.

3. There are two accounts of creation in the book of Genesis. The first account occurs in Chapter 1: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27) The next verse contains the very first command given by God: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” We thus see that Gods first purpose for marriage is that it be life-giving. Without the love embrace between husband and wife, human life would cease to exist on this earth. In the second account of creation in Genesis 2, we learn that the other purpose God has for marriage is that it be love-giving: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helpmate as his partner.” (Gen 2:18) Yes, God meant husband and wife to be intimate friends, supporting each other in mutual and lasting love. Accordingly, marriage exists to communicate both life and love.

4. The two purposes of marriage are so mutually interconnected as to be inseparable. First, recall that Jesus ruled out the possibility of divorce by applying these words to the union of husband and wife: “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one ever separate.” (Mk 10:8,9) In other words, spouses form an organic entity, like head and heart–not a mechanical one, like lock and key. So the separation of the head or heart from the body–unlike the removal of a key from its lock–entails the death of the organism. So too, with divorce. Likewise, it was God who also combined the love-giving and the life-giving aspects of marriage in one and the same act. Therefore, we can no more separate through contraception what God joined together in the marital act than we can separate through divorce what God joined together in the marriage union itself.

II. The Body Language of Marital Love

5. Before examining what the Church teaches about contraception, I would like to digress for a moment. According to Pope John Paul II, God designed married love to be expressed in a special language–the body language of the sexual act. In fact, sexual communication often uses the same terms that verbal communication does: intercourse (originally, to exchange ideas); to know (a euphemism for sexual relations Lk 1:34) to conceive (I can’t conceive how that happened.)

With this in mind, lets pose some questions:

• Is it normal for a wife to insert ear-plugs while listening to her husband?
• Is it normal for a husband to muffle his mouth while speaking to his wife?

These examples are so abnormal as to appear absurd. Yet if such behavior is abnormal for verbal communication, why do we tolerate a wife using a diaphragm or the Pill, or a husband employing a condom during sexual communication?

6. Worse still, how can one justify a husband having a surgeon clip his robust vocal cords, or a wife having her healthy eardrums surgically removed? Yet in the area of sexual communication, how do such horrific examples differ from a vasectomy or a tubal ligation? Isn’t it the task of a surgeon to remove an organ only when it is diseased and threatens human life? If the testes or ovaries are not diseased, on what grounds are we frustrating their purpose? Could it be that we now consider babies a disease, from which we must immunize ourselves through sterilization?

7. Yes, we have been created in the image and likeness of God! Jesus revealed God’s inner life to us as a Trinity of persons. Accordingly, the body language of the marital union between husband and wife must reflect Gods own inner life, namely, the mutual love between the Father and the Son, which is the person of the Holy Spirit. From the first page to the last, the Bible is a love story. It begins in Genesis with the marriage of Adam and Eve, and it ends in the Book of Revelation with the wedding feast of the Lamb–the marriage of Christ and his Bride, the Church. From all eternity God craves to give himself to us in marriage. No one expressed that fact more graphically than the prophet Isaiah:

“As a young man marries a maiden, so will your Maker marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” (Is 62:5)

St. Paul embellished this theme when he wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.” (Eph 5:25) How did Christ give himself up for the Church? Totally–to the last drop of his blood! He held nothing back. If husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved, can they hold anything back? Not even their fertility?

III. Contraception: Telling Lies with Our Bodies

8. Since God fashioned our bodies male and female to communicate both life and love, every time that husband and wife deliberately frustrate this twofold purpose through contraception, they are acting out a lie. The body language of the marital act says, “I’m all yours,” but the contraceptive device adds, “except for my fertility.” So in actual fact, they are lying to each other with their bodies. Even worse, they are tacitly usurping the role of God. By thwarting the purpose of the marital love embrace, they are telling God, “You may have designed our bodies to help you transmit life to an immortal soul, but you made a mistake–a mistake we intend to correct. You may be Lord of our lives–but not of our fertility.”

9. In 1968, Pope Paul VI said essentially the same thing when he issued his encyclical Humanae Vitae: “There is an inseparable link between the two meanings of the marriage act: the unitive meaning (love-giving) and the procreative meaning (life-giving). This connection was established by God himself, and man is not permitted to break it on his own initiative.” (H.V., no. 12) Pope Paul went on to condemn every form of contraception as being unworthy of the dignity of the human person. A tidal wave of angry dissent erupted over this teaching. Catholics and non-Catholics alike berated the celibate old man in the Vatican for failing to read the signs of the times and thus hindering the Churchs full entry into the modern era. But the Holy Father was merely restating the unbroken teaching of the Church from the beginning, upheld by all Christian denominations until the Anglican Church made the first break at the Lambeth Conference of 1930. In substance–though not expressed in these exact word–she was declaring: “It is not right for man to separate what God has joined together. Attempting to do so would enshrine man in the place of God and unleash a series of unspeakable evils on society.”

10. Many scoffed at the dire consequences that Pope Paul predicted if the use of contraception escalated. Among his predictions were: 1) increased marital infidelity; 2) a general lowering of morality, especially among the young; 3) husbands viewing their wives as mere sex objects; and 4) governments forcing massive birth control programs on their people. Thirty-five years later the moral landscape is strewn with the following stark reality: 1) The divorce rate has more than tripled. 2) The number of sexually transmitted diseases has expanded from six to fifty. 3) Pornography grosses more than all the receipts from professional sports and legitimate entertainment combined. 4) Sterilization is forced on unsuspecting women in third world countries, with Chinas one-child-per-couple policy in the vanguard. Today, even critics of Humanae Vitae admit that its teaching was prophetic.

11. Many Catholics who make use of contraceptives claim that they are doing nothing wrong since they are merely obeying the dictates of their conscience. After all, doesn’t the Church teach that we must follow our conscience to decide if a behavior is right or wrong? Yes, thats true–provided that its a properly formed conscience. Specifically, we must all conform our individual consciences to the natural law and the Ten Commandments, just as we have to adjust our clocks to sun time (Greenwich Mean Time). If a clock goes too fast or too slow, it will soon tell us that its bedtime at dawn. And to say that we must accommodate our individual conscience to behavior that clearly contradicts Gods law is to say that we must rule our lives by the clock, even when it tells us that night is day.

IV. NFP: Speaking the Truth with Our Bodies

12. I fear that much of what I have said seems harshly critical of couples using contraceptives. In reality, I am not blaming them for what has occurred during the past four decades. It was not their fault. With rare exceptions, because of our silence we bishops and priests are to blame. A letter I received from a young father last year is characteristic of many others: “Early in our marriage, Jan and I used artificial contraception like everybody else. Today’s culture was telling us that this was the normal thing to do. We knew the official Church teaching was against it, but we were not taught why. We even had priests tell us that it was a personal decision; so if we felt the need to use contraception, it was okay. But couples need to be taught why contraception is wrong. We were never taught that the Pill is an abortifacient, that it can possibly abort a (newly conceived) child without us knowing it. We were not taught that artificial birth control is a hindrance to building a healthy marriage. We did not know that there is a healthier, Church-approved, alternative to artificial birth control.”

13. While contraception is always wrong, there is a morally acceptable way for married couples to space their children–Natural Family Planning (NFP). Couples, when properly motivated, may regulate births by abstaining from the marital act during the wife’s fertile period. NFP instructors teach couples how to identify the fertile days, which can last from seven to ten days per cycle. NFP has a number of benefits: It is scientifically sound, it involves no harmful side effects, and it entails no cost after the initial fee for materials. Studies have shown that NFP, when accurately followed, can be 99% effective in postponing pregnancy. That’s equivalent to the Pill and better than all the barrier methods. Best of all, while complying with God’s will, husband and wife discover the beautifully designed functions of their fertility, enhance their intimacy, and deepen their love for each other.

14. But how does Natural Family Planning differ from contraception? And why bother, if their objective is the same? To understand the difference, one must realize that having a right intention for an action does not always justify the means. For example, two separate couples want to support their families. The first couple does it through legitimate employment, while the other couple does it by trafficking in illegal drugs. Or two persons want to lose weight. The first accomplishes the objective through a strict diet; the other, by binging and purging. Or to return to our analogy of the language of the body: To say that NFP is no different from contraception is to say that maintaining silence is the equivalent of telling a lie. Paul VI expressed the same idea more poetically: “To experience the gift of married love while respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not master of the sources of life, but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator.” (H.V., no. 13)

15. What would you think of a scientist who discovered the cure for cancer but refused to divulge it? Confronted with the spiritual cancer attacking the family today, how can one explain the reluctance of us bishops and priests in spreading the good news of the Church’s full teaching on married love and life? Consider this statistic: Today at least 30% of all marriages end in divorce, compared with only 3% of NFP users. Since the use of contraception burgeoned in the early 1960s to the present, there has been a corresponding increase in the incidence of divorce. Why such a dramatic increase in failed marriages? As we saw in paragraph # 4, to separate what God joined together in the marital act through contraception is bound to have repercussions on what God joined together in the marriage union–namely, divorce. The solution is clear. What’s needed is courage.

16. In order to counter the silence surrounding the Church’s teaching in this area, as your bishop, I ask that the following guidelines be implemented in our diocese:

• All pastoral ministers should study the liberating message of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body in order to share it with others.
• When appropriate, priests and deacons should present in their homilies the Churchs teaching dealing with marriage, including why contraceptive behavior is wrong.
• Adequate instruction in NFP is to become a part of all marriage preparation programs.
• Instruction in our high schools, the upper grades of Religious Education classes, and RCIA classes should clearly teach the immorality of those forms of sexual behavior condemned by the Church, including contraception.

17. In closing, I would like to quote from an article by Roberta Roane that appeared in the National Catholic Reporter. (Oct. 31, 1986)

She began by asserting: “Yes, I was alive and fertile in 1968. I was 19 and I knew the Pill was a gift from God and Humanae Vitae was a real crock. The Pill was going to eliminate teenage pregnancy, marital disharmony and world population problems…” After recounting her odyssey of bearing three children while switching from the Pill, to the IUD, to condoms, she continues:

“Finally, my husband and I reached a turning point. At a very low point in our marriage, we met some great people who urged us to really give our lives to the Lord and be chaste in our marriage.

That blew our minds. We thought it meant ‘give up sex.’ Thats not what it means. It means respecting bodily union as a sacred act. It meant acting like a couple in love, a couple in awe, not a couple of cats in heat. For my husband and me, it meant NFP and I won’t kid you, it was a difficult discipleship. NFP and a chaste attitude toward sex in marriage opened up a new world for us. It bonded my husband and me in a way that is so deep, so strong, that it’s hard to describe. Sometimes its difficult, but that makes us even closer. We revere each other. And when we do come together, we’re like honeymooners.

Sad to say, I was past 35 when I finally realized that the Church was right after all. Not the grab-your-sincerity-and-slide Church of Charlie Curran, but the real Church, the Church we encountered in the Couple to Couple League, the Catholic Church. The Church is right about contraception (it stinks), right about marriage (it’s a sacrament), right about human happiness (it flows, no, it floods when you embrace the will of God). It gave us depth. It opened our hearts to love.”

Roberta Roane is merely echoing what St. Paul said many centuries ago:

“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a great price. Therefore, glorify God with your body!” (1 Cor 6:19,20)

+ Victor Galeone

Bishop of St. Augustine

July 10, 2003

A growing number of pharmacists are choosing to discontinue dispensing contraceptives. Driving this decision is an increasing awareness of the negative consequences for users of oral contraceptives. For example, all pill package inserts clearly state that one of the actions of the pill is alteration of the uterine lining which interferes with nidation or implantation.¹ The Physicians Desk Reference reports that oral contraceptives that contain synthetic estrogen and progestins act by “…changing the endometrium (reduces likelihood of implantation).”²  This is clearly an abortifacient mechanism rather than a contraceptive one. Conception (or fertilization) and the beginning development of a new human being would have already occurred at least a week to ten days before.^{3, 4, 5}

Additionally, use of this type of contraception has been shown to cause many negative short and long term effects. Approximately half of all women who begin using the pill in any given period discontinue its use within one year, which indicates the high incidence of physical, psychological, emotional and/or moral problems experienced by these individuals—causing great dissatisfaction with the pill among pill users.^{6, 7} The World Health Organization lists the pill (estrogen/progestin) as a Group 1 cancer-causing agent.⁸

In light of these facts, more and more pharmacists are choosing to discontinue dispensing contraceptives. The purpose of this pamphlet is to discuss how to implement this decision.

Implementation

Implementation for a new facility is the easiest. The policy would be to not sell contraceptives. When people present prescriptions for contraceptives, a simple statement by the pharmacist to the effect that we do not sell contraceptives at this pharmacy would usually suffice. If the individual questions why, then the pharmacist could either give the person a previously prepared written explanation, or if time allows, spend some time explaining why this policy is in effect. If the person states that they are not taking the product for contraception, the pharmacist can decide if he or she wishes to dispense these products for indications other than contraception, or offer better alternatives to the pill.

In an already existing facility, the process is a little more challenging. An initial decision should be made whether all pharmaceuticals used for contraception will be discontinued or if those prescriptions used for other indications will continue to be filled. Whatever decision is ultimately made, a time frame should be chosen. Advising clients of the new policy and then allowing them two to three months to transfer their prescription is reasonable. Most people will transfer them the following month. For various reasons however, some find it impractical to do so, and they should be allowed additional time.

If prescriptions for other medical indications will be honored, a personal survey of each client will be necessary. After asking the woman why she is taking this product, a note is made in her profile or on the prescription. Then the previous policy can be implemented or the prescription filled.

For those individuals taking the pill for an indication other than contraception, I would suggest giving them a copy of the statements contained in the physician’s insert. Included is the statement of how nidation (or implantation) is inhibited as well as several statements referring to the serious side effects. These can be formatted on a label that fits on the pill pack similar to the prescription label. I apply these to every pack of pills dispensed.

Any new prescriptions presented for the pill would be declined. I advise the woman of the new policy of no longer selling birth control pills. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause her and offer her a packet of explanatory information. I ask her to review the information and call me or return to the store to discuss any questions she may have. For those women who want to know right then why I am no longer selling birth control pills, I share with them the serious side-effects in women as well as the fact that random ovulations and pregnancies do occur. These chemicals are designed to prevent implantation of the newly formed child, which is an abortifacient effect and I as a pharmacist cannot dispense products with that type of potential. Although only a relatively small number of owner pharmacists have implemented this policy, without exception that I am aware of, they all have been happy with their choice.

The employee pharmacist–when the store continues to sell contraceptives–has a much more challenging situation. The majority of pharmacies currently will not honor a pharmacist’s conscientious decision to no longer fill prescriptions for birth control pills. If he or she is working with another pharmacist, the other pharmacist may be willing to fill all the prescriptions for contraceptives.

A pharmacist who has exhausted all practical steps to avoid filling contraceptive prescriptions, should continue to counsel clients about the abortifacient potential and the side-effect potential for the individual taking the pill. I would strongly recommend utilizing the auxiliary label concept, described previously. I would also give every client “The Challenge Of Contraception For Those Who Respect Life” by Teresa Menart, M.D. (available from One More Soul, phone 800-307-7685). This has been an effective tool for creating awareness of how these products work. The stimulating discussions that follow have been excellent educational opportunities.

Finally, for those pharmacists who are grappling with this dilemma, continue to pray for guidance. Almighty God in His all-knowing way will guide you and give you the courage to make the correct decision. As a pharmacist, you have a tremendous impact on the people with whom you come in contact. They respect you and look to you for true and honest advice. Your implementation of this decision in your practice will save lives and improve the quality of life for many of your clients.

Physician Reaction

Most pharmacists implementing this policy indicate that they have had very little negative response from physicians! This has been my experience also. Depending on the size of the community you serve, and the situation you find yourself in, you may or may not choose to contact physicians about your decision. Simply advising clients is sufficient.

I have been questioned by only a handful of physicians. Most of them simply inquired as to my policy and respected my decision. One Catholic physician, a prominent member of the local community, was vehemently opposed to my decision. He began advising his patients to go to other pharmacies and would no longer call in prescriptions to the store at which I worked. All attempts to contact him by phone and by mail were rejected. I received much support from my customers. Many of them who used this physician as their family doctor insisted that he write their prescriptions so they could bring them to me. The response by so many of my customers, even those who were not opposed to contraception, in support of my stance was very gratifying. Within a few months, the physician recanted his position and became more tolerant.

At the second location, in another community where I instituted this policy, I had no problem with any of the physicians. In fact, one Catholic Ob/Gyn called questioning me about my position. Initially, I feared a situation like the above. Instead, he began sharing with me how he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he could not take the step to change. I encouraged him, assured him of my prayers for the strength he needed, and sent him the material I was distributing. I included as well a list of Catholic Physicians who had stopped prescribing contraceptives and doing sterilizations (also available from OMS).

I had only one woman become irate. It happened on my day off. I had given her the information the previous day, when she requested her pill prescription refill. After reading the material, she returned to the pharmacy outraged about my attempting to dictate to her what she could or could not do. After a vociferous tirade, she concluded with, “My dad also wants me to stop taking these pills, but I’m not listening to him either!!” As she left, she told my clerk that she would return to take this matter up with me. She never did.

Prayer

I pray for this woman, the physician who opposed my position and all the women and physicians to whom I have presented this policy. Prayer has helped me do what I know will ultimately be in the best interest of those individuals and their families. It has helped me to be a better pharmacist. Prayer helps me be more considerate, understanding and compassionate—all the things that a pharmacist needs in order to serve the people with whom he or she interacts each day.

Natural Fertility Regulation

A pharmacist who discontinues dispensing contraceptives should have some viable alternative to offer.⁹ In most cases, some method of Natural Fertility Regulation is the most suitable recommendation a pharmacist can make. There are a number of providers of various methods in most communities. A pharmacist should have a list of local providers readily available to offer as an alternative to individuals with a genuine need for an alternative family planning method. Additionally, a pharmacist who counsels patients on the abortifacient nature of chemical contraceptives, and the possible health consequences for the woman, should attend a basic Natural Family Planning education program in order to be informed about the physiology and practical implementation of these methods.

A packet of sample letters, articles, suggested statements of policy change as well as other supporting information for interested pharmacists is available from Pharmacists for Life International at www.pfli.org, or call 800-227-8359.

References

1. Frye CA. An overview of oral contraceptives: mechanism of action and clinical use. Neurology 2006 Mar 28; 66(6 Suppl 3): S29-36.

2. Retrieved from http://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/lo-ovral-28?druglabelid=1068 February 18 2015.

3. Schoenwolf GC et al. Larsen’s Human Embryology, Fifth Edition. London: Churchill Livingstone, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.; 2015. P. 14-42.

4. Retrieved from http://thepillkills.org/pillkillsbabies.php, February 18 2015.

5. Alcorn R. Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? 10th Edition. Sandy, OR: Eternal Perspective Ministries; 2011.

6. Brynhildsen J. Combined hormonal contraceptives: prescribing patterns, compliance, and benefits versus risks. Ther Adv Drug Saf 2014 Oct; 5(5): 201-213.

7. Josefsson A, Wirehn AB, Lindberg M, Foldemo A, Brynhildsen J. Continuation rates of oral hormonal contraceptives in a cohort of first-time users: a population-based registry study, Sweden 2005-2010. BMJ Open 2013 Oct 18; 3(10): e003401-2013-003401.

8. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/aging/cocs_hrt_statement.pdf February 19, 2015.

9. A listing of national organizations that teach Natural Family Planning is available at the One More Soul website:
www. onmoresoul.com.

Contraception poses a challenge to those who respect life. It may not be immediately obvious that there is any connection between contraception and abortion, but on further examination, a relationship between the two becomes apparent. Ignoring the issue of contraception leads to a lost opportunity to respect life to the fullest degree. There are at least three connections between contraception and abortion to consider:

1. Many contraceptives can directly cause early abortions.
2. Contraceptive use creates a perceived need for abortion as a “back-up.”
3. Contraceptive use causes a devaluation of human life.

We’ll explore each of these ideas in the sections that follow.

Q. Can contraception actually cause early abortion?

Yes. Let’s first consider the birth control pill, the most popular contraceptive used today.¹ It has three ways of working.² Its primary mechanism is to suppress ovulation, but this sometimes fails.^3,4 The second is to change the characteristics of cervical mucus, reducing the ability of the sperm to reach and fertilize the ovum. Natural family planning research confirms that cervical mucus is an important factor in fertility.^5,6 Thirdly, the lining of the uterus is thinned, making it difficult for the fertilized ovum to implant. So if the first two mechanisms fail, and conception occurs, the new life might just pass through the uterus and be lost with vaginal secretions.

If this last mechanism were the only one working, we would clearly have an abortifacient on our hands. It is difficult to determine how often this third mechanism comes into play when it is one of three possibilities. There have been some attempts to calculate the number of early abortions from birth control pills based on the breakthrough ovulation rate estimated at 2-10%.⁷ However, these calculations neglect the effects of cervical mucus and require an estimation of the frequency of fertilization.

Another way to approach the problem is to look at the 3% pregnancy rate of birth control pill users.⁸ In these cases, all three mechanisms fail and a viable embryo is implanted. It is likely then, that even more often an egg is fertilized without surviving the harsh uterine environment, dying by early abortion (lack of implantation). It is impossible to prove the degree to which hormonal contraceptives cause early abortions, but most likely many more embryos are aborted than those who survive to become part of the 3% birth control pill fail rate statistic.

Other hormonal contraceptives (e.g. Norplant and Depo-Provera) have the same effect on the uterine lining, and are open to an even higher risk of early abortion because of a much higher breakthrough ovulation rate.⁹

It should be noted that the “morning after pill,” or emergency post-coital contraception, is nothing more than a series of birth control pills. Although this regimen may have multiple effects, it is generally accepted that it works because its effects on the uterine lining inhibit implantation.¹⁰

There is some debate about the effects of the IUD,¹¹ but at least two of its actions, and probably its principal ones, are to interfere with implantation and with the enzymatic processes of the developing blastocyst. These mechanisms are strictly abortifacient. The possibility has been raised in more recent years that the IUD may also interfere with fertilization.

All of the above contraceptives can end a life already begun.

Q. But what if contraceptives did not cause abortion or one only used barrier methods (condoms and diaphragms) – would there still be a conflict with respect for life?

Yes. Contraceptive use completely changes one’s mentality about sexual relationships. It is the availability of effective contraceptives that has paved the way for the sexual revolution.^12,13 Before contraceptives, fear of pregnancy prevented many people from engaging in premarital or extramarital sexual relations. Being ready to engage in a sexual relationship meant being ready to raise children. But contraceptives allow for recreational sex. Couples expect to be able to engage in sexual activity without having to think about the natural result: pregnancy. So when a pregnancy does occur, the child is unwelcome, and abortion is “needed.” In fact, the Supreme Court made manifest this connection in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, when it stated, “in some critical respects abortion is of the same character as the decision to use contraception…for two decades…people have organized intimate relationships and made choices … in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.”¹⁴ Contraception launches people on a lifestyle which makes abortion more likely, not less likely, to be chosen.

Q. So perhaps we need more effective, non-abortifacient contraceptives. Would this solve the problem?

Even if there were contraceptives that did not cause abortion and were 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, their use would not be compatible with respect for human life. Their very use is against life: “contraception.” They allow a devaluation of human life by stripping the life-giving power away from the sexual act. Sex can then become a meaningless game, rather than the profound mystery that arises out of the deep unity of the couple permanently committed to each other, sharing in God’s power to create new life.

Contraception turns the sexual act against life, against the very power that makes it so meaningful. By changing the nature of the sexual act, it also changes the relationship of the couple involved. A person’s fertility is an integral part of his/her humanity. By holding back their fertility from each other, the couple dehumanizes themselves and each other, and their relationship.¹⁵  It becomes very easy for them to simply use each other for their own pleasure. This is a terrible degradation of their own humanity and something most of us instinctively rebel against. It is no surprise, then, that when people learn to degrade and devalue themselves, their loved one, and their relationship, that it becomes easy to devalue the new life that comes forth from them. Abortion becomes a more likely choice when people have been reduced to the level of objects.

Our society today seems to be saturated with the notion that children are now burdens instead of blessings! This is a contraceptive attitude, and it is this very attitude that makes abortion thinkable.

For more information on contraception, or the life-affirming choice of Natural Family Planning, contact One More Soul.

Dr. Menart is a part-time physician of internal medicine, and a full-time mother. She was a OMS Trustee for 4 years.

For more information on Natural Family Planning contact:

Billings Ovulation Method Assn.

www.boma-usa.org      (888) 637-6371

The Couple to Couple League

www.ccli.org      (800) 745-8252

Family of the Americas Foundation

www.familyplanning.net      (800) 443-3395

FertilityCareCenters of America

www.fertilitycare.org      (402) 390-6600, ext.117

Institute for Natural Family Planning

www.mu.edu/nursing/NFP      (414) 288-3854

Marquette Model

www.marquette.edu/nursing/natural-family-planning/model.shtml      (414) 288-3854

Natural Family Planning International

www.nfpandmore.org      (740) 457-9663

Northwest Family Services

http://www.nwfs.org/couples-a-singles/natural-family-planning.html      (503) 215-6377

One More Soul NFP Center

www.OneMoreSoul.com      (800) 307-7685

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/      (202) 541-3040

References:

1. Guttmacher Institute. Facts on Contraceptive Use January 2008. Retrieved from www.guttmacher.org/ pubs/fb_contr_use.html. Sept. 1, 2009.

2. Physician’s Desk Reference, 52nd ed. (Montvale, NJ, 1998).

3. Kuhar, B. “Infant Homicides through Contraceptives” (Bardstown, KY, 1995) pp. 26-27.

4. * Alcorn, R. Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? (Gresham, OR, 2007) pp. 21-24.

5. Odeblad, E. “The Biophysical Properties of the Cervical-Vaginal Secretions,” Human Life Center, (Collegeville, MN) 1983.

6. Billings, JJ. “Cervical Mucus, the Biological Marker of Fertility and Infertility,” International Journal of Fertility, 1981; 26:182-195.

7. Kuhar, pp. 26-27.

8. Hatcher, p. 227.

9. Kuhar, pp. 28-29.

10. Hatcher, p. 416.

11. Kuhar, pp. 20-22.

12. Smith, J. “The Connection Between Contraception and Abortion,” Homiletic and Pastoral Review, April 1993.

13. Laumann EO, Michael RT (eds). Sex, Love and Health in America: Private Choices and Public Policies. 2001; 46-49.

14. Smith, J. “The Connection Between Contraception and Abortion,” Homiletic and Pastoral Review, April 1993.

15. *Hogan, R. and Levoir, J. Covenant of Love (New York, 1985) pp. 54-56.

*References 4 and 15 are available from One More Soul.

Dear John,

Almost 22 years ago we took an oath before God, family and friends to lovingly accept children. This was a commitment we looked forward to, but it was also a concern because I have diabetes.

In ten years of marriage, God blessed us with three beautiful children, but all were very complicated pregnancies with toxemia and uncontrollable blood sugars. Through it all, you were my strength even during the cesarean births, you stood by my side.

I remember clearly how sick I was after the birth of our son John. Intense fear encompassed me with the thoughts of going through what my doctors termed another “high-risk pregnancy.” After all, I had two daughters and now a son. “Dont press your luck” was their disclaimer. I remember thinking maybe they were right. Even with that news, I think the most difficult decision we have ever made in our marriage was to have the vasectomy. The decision did not come easily. It was three years of agonizing thought. I felt we were growing distant from each other. I didnt feel confident enough in NFP to rely solely on it, and feared another complicated pregnancy. My mind was consumed with thoughts of freedom from this endless worry.

After the surgery, you would think I would have felt relief, but instead the shame and guilt overpowered any other feelings. With the sneaking and conniving to have the surgery and to keep it from our children and our family, I felt no pride in what we had done.

Isnt it ironic that for a decision that took years of consideration, it was so clearly and quickly recognized to be such a wrong one? We had committed a grave injustice to our dear God who had blessed us with our fertility, and three beautiful children, and we rewarded Him with fear and lack of trust. Our newfound freedom wasnt so wonderful at all.

Its hard to explain my feelings at the time. It seemed that the closeness we once shared wasnt there. The something we once shared that was so special didnt seem so special anymore. The hope and wonder of new life in our marriage was gone due to our decision, not Gods. I felt like I was grieving the loss of a child, a child that God might have chosen to create for us and we werent willing to cooperate with Him. How could I live with that decision?

Oh, how hard the devil is working. He is a master at manipulating peoples minds into thinking that sterilization is justified whether it be for health reasons, financial, or whatever the circumstances may be. But in fact, even in our situation there was no justification.

God never stopped loving us. He poured His mercy, forgiveness and all His compassion down upon us. The day you had the reversal was one of the happiest days of my life. We had a significant loan to pay back, but it was a great investment and the rewards have been far greater than could ever be imagined three more healthy, beautiful children! Sometimes I stand back in awe at the miracle of our lives and I cant imagine our lives without them.

Now at the age of 40, I dont know what the future holds. Each day wakes with new challenges. I marvel at your strength, self-control and total commitment to our marriage, in sickness and in health, and me till death do we part.

I will never again underestimate Gods power, His love and infinite mercy and wisdom, for as I have learned in this long journey, His plan is always best and life is precious.

All my love,

Your loving wife

Editors Notes:

1) Today, children are not always seen as blessings from God. Its reported that 80% of child-bearing-age couples are contracepting or sterilized. The great contraception and sterilization risks to women and marriage (and, ultimately to Church and society) are rarely reported. At One More Soul we try hard to find and distribute books, pamphlets, tapes and videos that help people understand the truth and wisdom of the Churchs teaching. We encourage you to call our toll free number, 1-800-307-7685, to request a free catalog of our resources and for more information.

2) Many good friends have realized the error of their sterilization and have had a reversal. Roughly, 80% have been delighted by subsequent pregnancies. Peggy Powell informed me of the pregnancy of a couple after both had reversals.

3) Peggy Powell tells John and Karens story and two others in “The Hurtful Consequences of Artificial Contraception and Sterilization,” from One More Soul. One More Soul has a list of NFP only sterilization reversalists, many of whom will reduce their fees for those in need.

4) We have a Directory of over 400 NFP-Only Physicians who do not perform, prescribe, or refer for abortion, contraception, sterilization, or in-vitro fertilization. The cost is $10.00, plus Shipping. You can obtain a copy by calling 1-800-307-7685.

Steve Koob

Director, One More Soul

If you would like more information on sterilization reversals, call One More Soul 1-800-307-7685

For spiritual direction you are encouraged to call a local pastor, or Fr. Dan McCaffrey, STL, in Oklahoma City at 888-637-6383 or 405-755-9091 (home).

Dear Rick,

If someone would ask me, “How’s your love-life?” I would say, “Beautiful, Awesome and Wonderful!” But in the past I wasn’t always able to say those words.

When we used contraceptives the first few years of our marriage, I felt an emptiness. Something was missing! I felt used! Remember when I would share with you how I couldn’t feel close to you, but I didn’t know why I felt this way!

We felt an emptiness and wanted to have children. So I stopped taking the birth control pills, but couldn’t conceive. The birth control pills had been a detriment to my physical health and the doctor told us surgery was necessary to resolve the problem they had caused.

Our two beautiful daughters were born within the next two years! We were so happy! We had so much fun and loved them dearly! But then we made the biggest mistake of our lives – you had a vasectomy. All those feelings I had in the past returned – emptiness, loss of closeness and the feeling of being used.

You have always been a wonderful husband – very loving, compassionate, kind, and generous. Why was I feeling like this?

God started to touch our lives through others. A friend we met on a pilgrimage shared with me the evil of contraceptives and sterilization. Her husband was going to have his vasectomy reversed. I never knew the wrong we had done in using contraceptives and being sterilized until then.

You were so open to what I was learning and God was revealing to us. Once we realized the wrong of contraceptives and sterilization, we wished to go to our Lord and express our sorrow for what we had done. We were so thankful the Lord had opened our eyes to the truth and so grateful we could receive the great gift of His healing love and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

We prayed together and felt led to have the vasectomy reversed.

Even though we had confessed these sins and God had forgiven us, we wanted to rectify our error and be open to life if God so willed to give us more children.

Now I know why our marriage suffered; we had severed ourselves from God and the purpose of God’s plan for marriage. He wants us to cooperate with His plan of creation by being open to life in our marriage.

What a wonderful husband you are by your

acceptance and openness to this new awareness of God’s plan and your willingness to have the vasectomy reversed. That is why I can now say, “Our love-life is Wonderful, Awesome and Beautiful!” Because our marriage is just that – Love & Life – love with an openness to God’s great gift of life. With that openness, God blessed us with the most precious gift – our new beautiful daughter!

Our marriage is better than ever! We have one more soul that God has blessed us with that will spend all eternity with Him! I thank God each day for all our children and especially for you my wonderful husband, lover and best friend, and your courage to do what was pleasing to Him.

All my love,

Your loving wife

Editor’s Notes:

1) Today, children are not always seen as blessings from God. It’s reported that 80% of child-bearing-age couples are contracepting or sterilized. The great contraception and sterilization risks to women and marriage (and, ultimately to Church and society) are rarely reported. At One More Soul we try hard to find and distribute books, pamphlets, tapes and videos that help people understand the truth and wisdom of the Church’s teaching. We encourage you to call our toll free number, 1-800-307-7685, to request a free catalog of our resources and for more information.

2) Many good friends have realized the error of their sterilization and have had a reversal. Roughly, 80% have been delighted by subsequent pregnancies. Peggy Powell informed me of the pregnancy of a couple after both had reversals.

3) Peggy Powell tells John and Karen’s story and two others in “The Hurtful Consequences of Artificial Contraception and Sterilization,” from One More Soul. One More Soul has a list of NFP-only sterilization reversalists, many of whom will reduce their fees for those in need.

4) We have a Directory of over 400 NFP-Only Physicians who do not perform, prescribe, or refer for abortion, contraception, sterilization, or in-vitro fertilization. The cost is $10.00, plus Shipping. You can obtain a copy by calling 1-800-307-7685.

Steve Koob

Director, One More Soul

If you would like more information on sterilization reversals, call One More Soul 1-800-307-7685

For spiritual direction you are encouraged to call a local pastor, or Fr. Dan McCaffrey, STL, in Oklahoma City at 888-637-6383 or 405-755-9091 (home).

Rick and Peggy

In 1971, my husband and I were married. Thinking birth control must be okay because no one had said anything against it during my high school years and I had never heard a homily addressing the issue, I made an appointment with my family doctor. I asked if I needed to be on a stronger birth control pill, since now I would be taking it for the purpose of birth control instead of acne. He prescribed the pill and off I went.

We used contraceptives for the next three years. Our lives became very selfish and self-centered, as they caused us to become very empty and lonely. We thought, “There is more to life than this.” We had a strong yearning to have a baby and thought this was the right time.

A year after stopping the pill I still couldn’t get pregnant! What was wrong! I was having physical problems from taking the pill continually for seven years. The doctor told me that the only way to solve this problem was to have a D&C.

I soon became pregnant and on July 9, 1976, we delivered what we thought was a healthy baby girl. We were so happy and she was so beautiful, but little did we know that Traci Rae was mentally handicapped. Through the years she would need special therapies and programs to help her with all her problems.

Unexpectedly, I became pregnant again and gave birth to our next daughter Trish Kathleen on May 25, 1978. We were very happy, but concerned about Traci as we had no idea what was wrong and she was just in the process of being diagnosed. We were so overwhelmed that we decided not to have any more children. Rick had a vasectomy. Again we did not know what we were doing – everyone was being sterilized and we had all these problems to deal with.

Our problems continued to worsen. I cried out to God in desperation and He answered me. All of a sudden we heard about a small village in Yugoslavia called Medugorje where the Blessed Virgin Mary had been appearing to some children since 1981. We joined a pilgrimage group and arrived in Medugorje on October 19, 1988. We returned home with such peace and joy, for Traci’s problems had started to diminish. Traci was 12 years old, and she could now live a more normal healthy life! We couldn’t thank God enough.

God continued to heal our family and showed us the many wrong paths we had traveled. A friend we had traveled to Medugorje with started sharing with me the evil of contraceptives and sterilization. Her husband had also been sterilized and they were scheduled to have it reversed. We never knew the wrong we had done in using contraceptives and being sterilized until now.

Our marriage had suffered and we began to understand why. Rick and I began to grow spiritually and started counseling to repair the injuries to our marriage. Our relationship grew and our communication deepened. We prayed together and felt led to have the vasectomy reversed. Even though we had confessed these sins and God had forgiven us, we wanted to rectify our error and be open to life if God willed to give us more children.

On July 5, 1991, Rick had the vasectomy reversed. It had been over 12 years since the vasectomy and the surgery was a success. I returned to Medugorje in April 1995, and prior to my leaving we received the most wonderful news – I was pregnant! After returning home the ultrasound showed our baby with her heart beating at 71/2 weeks. The tears streamed from our eyes. God had blessed us again!

On October 22, 1996, Rick(48) and I(43) celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with our three beautiful daughters: Traci(20), Trish(18), and Maria Faustina(10 months) who was born December 7, 1995! Words cannot express our joy and thanksgiving to Our Lord. We have made a promise to Our Lord that in thanksgiving for all He has done for us, we would share our story in order to help other couples.

Karen and John

Karen and John had three children. After each child was born the doctors cautioned her not to have any more children, especially after the last child was born; because he almost died. Karen is a brittle diabetic and during her pregnancies her diabetes went out of control and she had toxemia. They were so afraid of having relations that they asked for direction. Unfortunately, the advice they received was to go ahead and have a vasectomy.

In 1987, John had the vasectomy. They never felt right about their decision and they knew that the main idea of married life was to be open to new life. They realized that this beautiful gift of life was taken away because of their wrong decision. Karen and John put their trust in God and decided to undo this terrible wrong.

In September of 1991, John had the vasectomy reversed and the next month Karen conceived a child. They felt God was saying that they had done the right thing. Karen had no complications during the pregnancy.

The diabetes was under control and she carried the baby to 37 weeks gestation. On June 29, 1992, Hannah was born. She was a very healthy baby girl and the first baby they could take home from the hospital within four days. This was a great blessing since their first three children spent several weeks in intensive care after birth.

On November 30, 1994, Karen had a miscarriage that was a great loss and a test to their faith. But because of their faithfulness, Our Lord blessed them on July 15, 1996, with two healthy babies! Karen gave birth to twin boys named Matthew and Jacob, each weighing over five pounds.

Dennis and Deb

In 1989, Dennis had a vasectomy and a year later his wife Deb regretted their decision and wanted it reversed. Since the price was so high and the percentages given for success were not hopeful, they became discouraged.

After hearing our story of the reversal, Deb was more hopeful. Deb was the baby-sitter for Hannah (story above) who was conceived after a reversal. Her desire became stronger, but her husband was not willing to have the reversal.

Deb went on a pilgrimage to Medugorje and prayed for this intention. Deb’s roommate was also struggling with this, as her husband had also been sterilized. Their lives were very similar in many ways. A priest in Medugorje told Deb that if the opportunity ever arose they should have the vasectomy reversed.

The cost of the reversal was one of the main things holding them back. Deb was praying for the money and they were given over and above the amount needed for the reversal.

After receiving the money, Dennis was still not willing to have a reversal.

Deb continued to pray and had a novena of Holy Masses offered for healing in their marriage. They also attended a Healing Mass and were prayed with together for this intention. On October 8, 1996, the 7th day of the novena of Masses, Deb was praying in the chapel before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. She opened a daily scripture meditation booklet titled “One Bread, One Body” by Presentation Ministries. The praise read as follows: “Nine years after his vasectomy, Ralph repented, joined a small Christian community and had his vasectomy reversed.” At that time Deb cried out to the Lord, “What do you want me to do?” She went home and talked with Dennis and explained to him what had happened in the Chapel. Deb felt that God was really speaking to them. Dennis agreed to call and get the information.

Dennis had his vasectomy reversed in late January of 1997.

Dennis and Deb were both very happy and excited. Their daughter Elizabeth was born June 14, 1998, followed by a son Peter on May 1, 2000, and a daughter Anna Mae on October 17, 2002. They are also foster parents in their community.

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:19

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” John 8:32

At Elizabeths New Life Pregnancy Help Center, our philosophy is to be present to the needs of the women who come to us by providing peer counseling, material assistance, prenatal medical care, emotional support, friendship, spiritual guidance, educationwhatever the needs may be. It is by being present to them that we reach women with love, influencing them to choose life for their babies, supporting them in that decision, and helping them to change their lives for the better. Lisa and I have come to see this as the living application of the slogan “Love them both.” An integral part of truly loving these women as God does is telling them the TRUTH in Love about marriage, sexuality, and chastity the Truth that the world does not give.

The women who come to the Center are often not prepared to hear and accept the Truth we present to them. They have been conditioned by the worlds message: instant-gratification, pleasure above all, and casual sex without strings. They have been taught that contraception is the worlds greatest invention, that children are a burden, and that babies can be disposed of. Some have never been taught what is right and good not from their parents or families, not in school, and often not even in their churches. If they are told these things, it is by way of “Dont Do This” or “Dont Do That” without the reasons behind it. As a result, some clients have little or no basis on which our counselors can talk to them about chastity or morality.

The short counseling session with a client is often not enough time to lay the groundwork necessary for the client to consider chastity or secondary virginity. A Fertility Appreciation class is another opportunity to teach these clients, to lay the foundation, and to encourage them to change their behavior. The class gives us more time to present our case to the clients, in a way that is different from one-on-one counseling. The clients share their experiences and observations with each other, often validating in their eyes what we are trying to teach them.

In teaching Fertility Appreciation to our clients, we are trying to give the skills and information they need to form their consciences and make good choices. The primary goals of our class are: 1) Teach Gods plan for sex and marriage, 2) Promote chastity or secondary virginity among unmarried women, and 3) Promote Natural Family Planning and generous self-giving within marriage in preference to contraception.

Really, though, the purpose and reach goes much further. We want them to realize the beauty and complexity of their fertility and the immeasurable value of their life and sexuality. We want to inform them of the physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational risks and harms of using contraception. In addition, we want them to be aware of the abortifacient effects of many types of contraception including the pill, IUD, Norplant, Depo-Provera, and the patch.

It is our responsibility to share the knowledge and Truth weve found. They have a need and a right to know how their bodies work, the purpose of sex, Gods plan for sex and marriage, the harms of artificial contraception, and that Natural Family Planning exists and is highly effective and worthwhile. Armed with this Truth, they can begin to turn their lives toward constructive relationships, freedom, and joy.

Is It Right To Teach Fertility Appreciation to Our Clients?

In this class, the women learn the basics of their fertility and are introduced to the ovulation method of Natural Family Planning. Some are concerned that by teaching an unmarried woman to read her fertility signs, we are encouraging sexual activity without the potential consequence of making a baby. It is, however, impossible to give women the full understanding of how their bodies work without also informing them of the observable signs of when they are fertile and when they are not. While providing this information, we also teach them about the natural law (and therefore Godd law) concerning their sexuality both the moral imperatives of Gods law and the consequences of not living by Gods law concerning sex. The information presented in the class is strongly oriented toward use within a marriage relationship and would be very difficult to use in a situation of adultery or fornication.

Women have the right to know how their bodies work as well as the right to know the effect contraceptive drugs and mechanical devices have on their bodies. Spreading this Truth is so critical because it is a basis for positive behavior change, which is our best hope for overcoming the problems of women and of society that are brought into our centers every day. Our clients are unlikely to get this message anywhere else.

In the “Artificial versus Natural Family Planning” video used in the class, Dr. Jerome Lejeune sheds light on this situation. He says, “I think the reason why NFP is not widely used by everyone is in fact because of two things: first, a man must have love for his woman and second, he must have respect for her physiology. And it cannot be used if you have random partners or if you do not have a real conjugal law.” By conjugal law, he means an understanding and respect for Gods law for sex. Consequently, our clients are unlikely to use NFP without respecting Gods order for sexuality, which is chastity. In talking to a priest about the class, he said, “We can never be wrong about giving people information with which to make good moral choices. We are not responsible for the choices others make, but in fact we may be culpable for withholding the truth.”

Through this class, we try to instill in the clients a sense of the wonder and gift of their fertility and of pro-creating with God in bringing new life into the world. These are ambitious goals. Were planting seeds. Only God knows if and when these seeds will germinate and bear fruit. However, God does sometimes let us see the fruits of our efforts to encourage us.

We have had several clients tell us later that our class helped them choose chastity. Weve also had several married clients learn and practice NFP. They were pleased with the understanding it gave them of their own bodies. One client, after sitting through our class, confided in us that she had an appoint-ment to get an IUD the next day, and that, after listening to our presentation, she decided not to go. Weve been amazed how God has used this class to change lives.

Structure of a Fertility Appreciation Class

The class has 2 parts.

Part one

covers philosophy and biology. We talk about how a womans natural fertility works, and how wonderfully God has made our bodies. We discuss Gods plan for sex, how the female reproductive system works, and the naturally occurring signs of fertility in a womans cycle (mucus).

We talk to them about Gods plan for sex and marriage and discuss the twofold Natural Law. purpose of sex “Bonding” and “Babies.”

Bonding We talk about chastity, the emotional and psychological effects of pre-marital sex, and WHY sex is for marriage. We tell them that sex speaks the language of the body and what it says is “I give myself to you completely and accept you completely not just now but for always.” We tell them how this bonding produces effects which are great for marriage, but it is disastrous outside of marriage often causing couples to overlook serious problems with their partner.

Babies

The two become one so completely that nine months later youre picking out a name for that one. Openness to life when you have sex with your spouse is like saying, “I love you so much that I want to make another person just like you!” By withholding our fertility in sex, we put up a barrier to our love and union.

We explain the consequences of breaking Gods Natural Law for sex by using sex outside of the purposes for which it was created. We stress to them that its never too late even though theyre not virgins, its never too late to choose chastity.

We show the video, “Appreciating Your Fertility” and explain the female reproductive system using a poster, talking about all the parts, what each does, and what happens in a womans normal cycle.

Part two

of the class reviews all the concepts covered in part oneespecially Gods plan for sex and marriage, and the naturally occurring signs of fertility. We show the video “Artificial vs. Natural Family Planning” and then discuss the effects of artificial contraception, covering each method of contraception in detail.

We then discuss Natural Family Planning, which is the way God gives us to be able to postpone a pregnancy for a justifiable reason. This is done by learning the naturally occurring signs of a womans fertility so that the couple knows when to have and when to abstain from sex. We include several important points in our discussion of NFP including the scientific proof of the method, its low cost (money and time), moral acceptability, high success rate in a wide variety of cycle situations, reversibility, and ease of use. We stress that this is not the calendar rhythm method (the old rhythm method was only 65% effective modern NFP is 98-99% effective if used properly). We tell them basically how it works day to day for a couple charting, decision-making, and showing mutual respect. Lastly, we relate the many advantages of NFP including improved communication between husband and wife, increased respect and understanding, relationship building, reversibility (can be used to achieve pregnancy), and the decreased divorce rate of couples practicing NFP.

“When we first started working on this class we expected the clients to sit there and stare blankly at us as so often happens in a classroom setting but weve been pleasantly surprised. Clients often share their own experiences, adding credibility to what we have said. They ask questions that are relevant and usually very astute; they answer questions when asked; and we often receive comments of amazement that theyve never been told these things. We attribute this to the very intimate nature of the subject matter as well as the casual, comfortable, matter-of-fact way in which we try to approach it.”Ross & Lisa Novack (developers of the Fertility Appreciation class)

The following resources will help you prepare for teaching Fertility Appreciation at your center or church.

Audio Tapes

Pauline Economon speaking on “Benefits of Teaching NFP in the Pregnancy Help Center,” from the 1997 Heartbeat International Conference, available through Heartbeat International (888) 550-7577

Dr. Janet Smiths talk “Contraception, Why Not,” One More Soul (800) 307-7685

Dr. Chris Kahlenborns talk “Contraception, What a Woman Needs to Know,” 1998, One More Soul.

Books

Mercedes Arzu Wilson, Love & Fertility, Family of the Americas Foundation, Inc., 1986, (800)443-3395.

Dr. John and Sheila Kippley, The Art of Natural Family Planning, 4th edition, Couple to Couple League, 1996 (800) 745-8252

Sheila Kippley, Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Natural Mothering Spaces Babies, Couple to Couple League

Mary Beth Bonacci, Real Love: Answers to Your Questions on Dating, Marriage and the Real Meaning of Sex, Ignatius Press 1996

Humanae Vitae: A Challenge to Love

, Translation of Pope Paul VIs encyclical Humanae Vitae, with commentary, by Janet E. Smith, New Hope Publications

Pope John Paul IIs Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World), Pauline Books and Media, 1981

Pope John Paul IIs Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), Pauline Books and Media, 1995

Video Tapes

Appreciating Your Fertility

, Family of the Americas Foundation Inc., 1993

Love & Fertility

, Family of the Americas Foundation, Inc., 1989

Natural vs. Artificial Family Planning

, Family of the Americas Foundation, Inc.

Sex Has A Price Tag

, Pam Stenzel, Creative Youth Resources/Youth for Christ

(All available from One More Soul)

The Fertility Appreciation class plan developed by the Novacks is available free from One More Soul.

This homily (slightly abridged) was given on January 17, 1999 at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Providence RI

Reading John 1: 29-34

As he stood on one of the banks of the Jordan River that day, he was surrounded by many people: people from Jerusalem, people from the countryside of Judea–they came to him in huge numbers. Of course, that was not unusual. In fact, Scripture indicates that it was always that way for John the Baptist. He truly was a charismatic personality, a man who could draw a crowd and then hold them spellbound by his teaching and preaching because he spoke the truth with such clarity and conviction. We’re told that even some of those who hated him, like King Herod, were “captivated by his words.”

So there he is, in the midst of this vast sea of humanity, ministering as he always did to hundreds of hungry souls, and he suddenly catches sight of someone coming toward him. Now please keep in mind that everyone else who was there that day saw this same individual making his way toward John. But to them, he was simply a young Galilean male, about 30 years of age; if they knew his family they would have said, “Oh yes, that’s the son of Joseph–the carpenter from Nazareth.”

In other words, when these hundreds of people looked at Jesus, they saw someone who appeared to be just like everybody else. But not John! John looked up, saw his cousin walking in his direction, raised his finger and said, “Look there! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” JOHN THE BAPTIST PERCEIVED WHAT EVERYONE ELSE MISSED! And that’s my point: John the Baptist perceived the deeper reality that everyone else missed!

My brothers and sisters, we live in a world right now in which a similar phenomenon is taking place with respect to the human person and basic life issues. For example, when we as Catholics and as Christians look at another human being, we “see” an individual of infinite value, an individual made in Gods image and likeness, an individual with an immortal soul, an individual deserving of the utmost respect from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

But the sad and tragic fact is that many others do not “see” any of those things when they look at a fellow human being. When they look at another man or woman what they see is a cluster of cells, a product of conception, a disposable item, an object to be used for their own pleasure, a being no more valuable than a mosquito. They are like the crowds that stood with John that day on the banks of the Jordan River: They do not perceive the deeper reality of each person’s dignity.

But unfortunately the “perception problem”, as I would call it, goes beyond this, even affecting some who would call themselves “pro-life.” Here I’m thinking of those who do not perceive that abortion is the key social issue of our time. These people would say, “Of course I’m pro-life, but I think there are other social issues which are just as important as abortion: poverty, racism, violence, capital punishment and the like. Therefore all issues should be treated equally.” The problem with that position is that its contrary to what our Holy Father has said, and it’s contrary to common sense!

As John Paul II told us just before he left our country after his pastoral visit of 1987:

“Feeding the poor and welcoming refugees, reinforcing the social fabric of this nation, promoting the true advancement of women, securing the rights of minorities, pursuing disarmament, while guaranteeing legitimate defense: all this will succeed only if respect for life and its protection by law is granted to every human being from conception until natural death. Every human person, no matter how vulnerable or helpless, no matter how young or how old, no matter how healthy, handicapped or sick, no matter how useful or productive for society, is a being of inestimable worth created in the image and likeness of God. This is the dignity of America, the reason she exists, the condition of her survival, the ultimate test of her greatness: to respect every human person, especially the weakest and most defenseless ones, those as yet unborn.”

The Holy Father, who certainly has the perception of John the Baptist, rightly understands that a person’s position on the issue of abortion will ultimately affect his or her position on every other social and moral issue. Common sense should tell us that if we do not have respect for the innocent human life inside the womb, sooner or later we will not have any respect for the not-so-innocent human life outside the womb. We wonder why so many young people today exhibit such violent behavior. I’m convinced its because they have grown up in a world where violence toward pre-born babies is considered acceptable behavior. And so these young people think to themselves: “If it’s okay to kill that innocent baby, what is so bad about killing that guy in school who’s been mean to me? He’s certainly not innocent. If there are some innocent babies who don’t deserve to live, then he certainly doesn’t deserve to live.”

Another area where the “perception problem” exists is what I would call “the contraception connection.” This connection between contraception and abortion, as well as the connection between contraception and other social and moral evils, has been clearly affirmed by two great prophets of the latter 20th century: John Paul II and Paul VI. With the keen perception of John the Baptist, these two men have seen what so many intellectuals have completely missed.

In the Gospel of Life, number 13, our present Holy Father says that although “they are specifically different evils” both abortion and contraception are “fruits of the same tree,” rooted in “a self-centered concept of freedom.” Marvelously put! In other words, at the root of both abortion and contraception is pure, unadulterated human selfishness. The person using contraception says to his or her spouse, “You exist for me. Your purpose is to give me pleasure–to satisfy my desires.” (The action itself proclaims that message.) The advocate of abortion says, “Pregnancy is a disease and children are a nuisance. I should not have to be bothered dealing with either one.”

And then in 1968, that much-persecuted prophet Paul VI clearly annunciated the perennial teaching of the Church–that there are two purposes of marital sex: to have children and to establish a loving union between the spouses. And he indicated that whenever these two purposes are separated through a contraceptive act, it actually harms the relationship between a husband and wife.

Back then of course, most people laughed at such an idea. They said, “Holy Father, you’ve got to be kidding. Don’t you realize–artificial birth control is a great blessing! It will make for stronger marriages. Couples wont have to worry about unwanted pregnancies anymore. It will lessen marital anxiety. It will make for happier relationships and stronger families.”

The Pope said, “Don’t be fooled!” He warned that if artificial contraception ever became accepted and widespread, there would be many negative consequences: he said that there would be more infidelity in marriages; he said that women would be treated more and more like objects by men; he said that morals would be lowered in society as a whole; and he predicted that some governments would try to push birth control on poor countries–just like the United States does today.

On every count, he was right! He had the perception of the Baptist when so many others were blinded by their hormones! Praise God, some 30 years later, many are now finally seeing the truth and embracing it–so there is hope!

On that note, I just finished reading a great book that I’ll recommend to you. Its called Physicians Healed, and it’s published by One More Soul.* It consists of personal testimonies by 15 doctors (obstetricians, gynecologists and family practitioners) who have stopped giving all contraception to their patients. (Not all of them are Catholic!) They have all become promoters and teachers of Natural Family Planning–which, contrary to popular belief, is NOT the old “Rhythm Method.” It’s a scientific method of fertility awareness which can be used either to achieve or avoid a pregnancy, and which, when used properly, is acceptable to the Church and is as effective as any means of contraception.

One of the doctors cited in this book wrote the following in his personal testimony. This, I would say, speaks volumes:

“I now realize that contraception is neither good nor necessary. May the Lord forgive me for those human embryos I eliminated with IUDs. Mea culpa. May the Lord forgive me for those human embryos I eliminated with Norplant. Mea culpa. May the Lord forgive me for those human embryos I eliminated with the rape protocol. Mea culpa. May the Lord forgive me for those human embryos I eliminated with birth control pills. Mea maxima culpa.

As physicians, we should realize that the popes have far more wisdom on ethical issues than we could imagine. We can only appreciate their wisdom by following their teachings. We are not smart enough to overrule their infallible reasons. Eight years of medical training does not counterbalance 2,000 years of Catholic tradition. To learn, we must adopt an open-minded attitude of humility and obedience.”

Now there’s a doctor with the insight and perception of John the Baptist!

May all of us in this cathedral tonight be willing to open our minds to the fullness of God’s truth as taught by his Church, so that we can become true apostles for life in this present culture of death. May we follow the example of John and proclaim this truth without compromise and without shame. And may we always point to Jesus like John did, telling those who have had abortions and performed abortions and used contraception, “Don’t despair. Look, there is the Lamb of God, who will take away your sin–if you simply go to him in Confession;” and saying to the whole world, “Look, there is the Lamb of God who came to give us life–not death–LIFE! Treasure this gift, nurture this gift on earth, and receive the fullness of the gift someday in heaven.”

Amen.

* For more information about the book Physicians Healed which Fr. Suriani praised in his homily, contact One More Soul at 1(800) 307-7685.