As always thanks for your site and the regular updates! I
have a question and so far I have gotten one "yes" and one "no", so I guess
I need a tie-breaker. I am a 26 year old female. I am not in a
relationship, nor am I sexually active. What I want to know is if it's
permissible for me to use oral contraceptives for purposes other than birth
control. It's not for medical purposes, but rather because I swim three
times a week and I don't like having to miss a full week every month. Any
feedback you can give would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brenda
**********
Dear Brenda,
I don't know if I can break the tie. If you are not in a relationship, you
would not be contracepting. However, there are other moral considerations
regarding the care of your body. I consulted with a medical person, quite
knowledgeable about oral contraceptives, and she was concerned about various
side effects of the pill. Please see The Reality of Contraception by Dr. Hanna Klaus, M.D.
Also Dr.
Erik Odeblad did studies which link the pill to problems of later
infertility.
The nurse I talked with asked what you meant by missing a week each month.
If you are suffering pre-menstrual cramping, she suggested other treatments
less drastic than the pill.
There's a possible question about shutting down ones fertility even for a
non-contraceptive reason. The Church reverences fertility to so such a
degree that a man who has deliberately castrated himself cannot become a
priest. (Canon 1041) That is, even tho he pledges not to engage in genital
sexual activity, he cannot toss away the gift itself. Your situation of
course would be different because you are only talking about temporarily
suppression of a gift, not completely destroying it, but do you see the
question I am raising?
I'm also wonder about the psychological effect. It's interesting that even
tho the early birth control pills stopped menstruation, most women did not
want to cease having their period. So the pill was prescribed in such a way
as to create monthly bleeding - altho it is not true menstruation when not
preceeded by ovulation.
Do you have a Catholic physician - or at least one who appreciates Catholic
teaching - whom you can discuss this with?
God bless,
Fr. Phil Bloom Other Questions