Allergic to semen... Condoms okay?

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Lol, ok so according the the LAW, it’s not allowed.

Either way, all I was saying was that it wasn’t allowed. No need to argue or nit pick.
I am not arguing. Your responses seem to indicate that there was a technicality involved but that the spirit could still be fulfilled.

And that’s not true at all.

The goal is for the couple to share the marital embrace. Giving them something that **substitutes **for the marital embrace does not really help anything.
I agree with you, but this is not what the Church teaches in regards to the subject at hand. The couple would either need to succeed in finding a way to treat/cure the allergic reaction, or live as brother and sister for the rest of their married lives.
And** this **is not what the Church teaches either.
 
I agree with you, but this is not what the Church teaches in regards to the subject at hand. The couple would either need to succeed in finding a way to treat/cure the allergic reaction, or live as brother and sister for the rest of their married lives.
Um ok.

Any chance you’d like to elaborate??
 
I am not arguing. Your responses seem to indicate that there was a technicality involved but that the spirit could still be fulfilled.

And that’s not true at all.

The goal is for the couple to share the marital embrace. Giving them something that **substitutes **for the marital embrace does not really help anything.
Whatever semantics you want to use is fine. It is what it is.
 
Um ok.

Any chance you’d like to elaborate??
Sure. There are NOT just two options as you claim. I am not a theologian so their may be other options I am missing but two others that come to mind are to reduce the amount of times they make love to minimize her adverse reaction or to live as husband and wife but without having intercourse.

Living as brother and sister isn’t even a valid option for a validly married Catholic couple.
 
Here’s my question. Since for example, non-abortifacient birth control pills are permissible in cases where they happen to be the only available treatment for a medical condition, why wouldn’t using a condom in this case fall under the same logic?
 
Here’s my question. Since for example, non-abortifacient birth control pills are permissible in cases where they happen to be the only available treatment for a medical condition, why wouldn’t using a condom in this case fall under the same logic?
Because the condom doesn’t treat the condition.
 
Sure. There are NOT just two options as you claim. I am not a theologian so their may be other options I am missing but two others that come to mind are to reduce the amount of times they make love to minimize her adverse reaction or to live as husband and wife but without having intercourse.

Living as brother and sister isn’t even a valid option for a validly married Catholic couple.
Being married without having a sexual relationship IS what I meant when I said living as brother and sister. So that is the same thing.

So yes, there are really only 2 choices:
  • Either they stop having a sexual relationship (however you want to word it is fine)
  • Or they figure out a way to deal with the reaction with some sort of treatment or cure or something.
I don’t think having sex less often is somehow going to decrease the reaction she gets from the semen every time it touches her. If someone is allergic to peanuts, eating peanuts isn’t going to not effect the person just because they only do it once a year.
 
Because the condom doesn’t treat the condition.
Semantics. Eliminating contact with the allergen is still a form of treatment for allergies.

This is, of course, assuming that having sex (at all) is something married couples are “entitled” to. I’m really not even completely sure about that part, but is a marriage where there’s no possible way to ever have sex even considered valid??
 
Semantics. Eliminating contact with the allergen is still a form of treatment for allergies.

This is, of course, assuming that having sex (at all) is something married couples are “entitled” to.
But you are asking **why there was a difference **in Church teaching. The difference is that the unintended consequence can be tolerated for some treatments. Since this isn’t a treatment (the underlying condition remains completely unchanged), the same reasoning that is used for taking hormones that also are contraceptive does not apply.
 
Being married without having a sexual relationship IS what I meant when I said living as brother and sister. So that is the same thing.
No, it is not the same thing. Many couples are happily married and are unable to have sex anymore for one reason or another. They are not living as “brother and sister” and it is really insulting that you would equate a marriage where sex is not currently occuring to a non-marriage.
So yes, there are really only 2 choices:
Those are two choices but they aren’t the ONLY two choices. They might be the only two choices that you would accept but that is not the same as saying they are the only two choices the Church would allow.
I don’t think having sex less often is somehow going to decrease the reaction she gets from the semen every time it touches her. If someone is allergic to peanuts, eating peanuts isn’t going to not effect the person just because they only do it once a year.
I think you are straying into medical information here. Not all allergic reactions are the same. Many allergic reactions are cummulative and many others decrease with increased exposure. For example, I am allergic to cats but only since I no longer have one in my home. When I had cats, I had no problems. Now that my only contact with them is when I visit a cat owner’s home, I have a very strong allergic reaction. Only a trained allergist can advise this young woman as to what the options are for her allergy.
 
Particularly a Catholic forum. It’s about what’s in your underpants, in case you haven’t noticed. YUCK.
Said with love, if you’re bothered by adult discussions about sexuality, perhaps you’d better not click on threads with the word semen in the title.

Luna
 
Said with love, if you’re bothered by adult discussions about sexuality, perhaps you’d better not click on threads with the word semen in the title.

Luna
Exactly. Some folks get a little sqeamish about certain words, but the OP has real questions that they’d like answered. There’s no rule that one has to read and comment on every thread :rolleyes:.
 
No, it is not the same thing. Many couples are happily married and are unable to have sex anymore for one reason or another. They are not living as “brother and sister” and it is really insulting that you would equate a marriage where sex is not currently occuring to a non-marriage.
Again, Semantics. Sorry if I worded it in a way that you didn’t like or would find insulting. Bottom line is, I meant a married couple that don’t have sex. 🤷
Those are two choices but they aren’t the ONLY two choices. They might be the only two choices that you would accept but that is not the same as saying they are the only two choices the Church would allow.
No, they are not the only 2 choices that I would accept. However, since the Church apparently doesn’t allow condom use in this case, they are the only 2 choices the Church would allow. Either deal with it/find a cure/treatment, or stop having sex. If you believe the Church has other options out there, you are free to list a few. Otherwise it’s no use telling me there are other options when you can’t even list any yourself.
I think you are straying into medical information here. Not all allergic reactions are the same. Many allergic reactions are cummulative and many others decrease with increased exposure. For example, I am allergic to cats but only since I no longer have one in my home. When I had cats, I had no problems. Now that my only contact with them is when I visit a cat owner’s home, I have a very strong allergic reaction. Only a trained allergist can advise this young woman as to what the options are for her allergy.
Ok.
 
Semantics. Eliminating contact with the allergen is still a form of treatment for allergies.

This is, of course, assuming that having sex (at all) is something married couples are “entitled” to. I’m really not even completely sure about that part, but is a marriage where there’s no possible way to ever have sex even considered valid??
You know, I was thinking too about the fact that the Church considers it licit for a woman who has been raped to take the morning after pill (as long as conception hasn’t occurred yet) in order to prevent a pregnancy.

Likewise, taking this morning after pill doesn’t “cure” anything… it merely prevents something. In this case it prevents a child from conceiving.

I wonder then, how this can be licit… but wearing a condom to prevent allergic reaction from semen is not?
 
You know, I was thinking too about the fact that the Church considers it licit for a woman who has been raped to take the morning after pill (as long as conception hasn’t occurred yet) in order to prevent a pregnancy.

Likewise, taking this morning after pill doesn’t “cure” anything… it merely prevents something. In this case it prevents a child from conceiving.

I wonder then, how this can be licit… but wearing a condom to prevent allergic reaction from semen is not?
Re: The Church and the morning after pill: Where did you read that!? I’m not sure that is accurate. Do you have a source?
 
Good news… apparently desensitization therapy is usually an option for this allergy. Once she’s desensitized, it looks like they’ll have to have sex frequently to keep her desensitized… which raises complications if they intend to practice NFP.
 
I wonder then, how this can be licit… but wearing a condom to prevent allergic reaction from semen is not?
The condom proscription actually does seem different to me.

Sorry to be graphic, but if he uses a condom, he’s got to throw the semen away. That’s seems a lot less unitive than in the instance where the woman takes the pill for medicinal purposes. Does anyone else feel like the act of throwing away semen into a trash bin makes the act a whole lot different?
 
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