Birth Control for medical reasons

[Voltrael]

My wife has been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. The symptoms she is having make this a pretty severe condition and something she needs to be treated for.

The frequently used treatment for this is the birth control pill. We have never used birth control, which can be seen by my wife’s three living children and more than a half dozen miscarriages. My wife would like to get better (she has other health conditions, so anything she can clear up makes life easier for her and her family). She doesn’t want to sin in the process though.

Opinions on this?

 

[1ke]

My wife has been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. The symptoms she is having make this a pretty severe condition and something she needs to be treated for.

From Humanae Vitae, 15:

The Church does not consider at all illicit the use of those therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even if a foreseeable impediment to procreation should result there from—provided such impediment is not directly intended for any motive whatsoever.

See also the Principle of Double Effect.

And, lastly, if in doubt contact the National Catholic Bioethics Center for a consultation.

The frequently used treatment for this is the birth control pill.

Correct.

Some people with PCOS have found treatment through Dr. Hilger’s (who created the Creighton Model NFP) through his center or doctor’s trained in his method, NaPro. He does not treat women with hormonal pills.

naprotechnology.com/

If you would be more comfortable talking to them, please get in contact.

We have never used birth control, which can be seen by my wife’s three living children and more than a half dozen miscarriages.

I am very sorry for your losses. That must be tough on you and your wife.

My wife would like to get better (she has other health conditions, so anything she can clear up makes life easier for her and her family). She doesn’t want to sin in the process though.

Opinions on this?

Contact any of the resources above for guidance and authentic Catholic teaching. Be not deterred by the inevitable inaccurate information that will make it’s way onto this thread.

 

[Joe_5859]

Contact any of the resources above for guidance and authentic Catholic teaching. Be not deterred by the inevitable inaccurate information that will make it’s way onto this thread.

Indeed. 1ke summed it up nicely and gave great references. Those are the places that can give you much better guidance than any of us can.

 

[Voltrael]

Thank you for the quick reply. I really appreciate the amount of relevant information you provided.

Of course, I also appreciate that Church teachings align with both what is best for my wife’s health and what is best for our relationship.

 

[SilverLight]

From what I know Birth Control such as a pill can be used for medical reasons and it is not used for the Birth Control property its for. My mother took a pill years ago for a medical condition also and it took away so much of her pain.

 

[1990Domer]

I needed BCP for medical reasons as well. I must have confessed it about 50 times. One priest recognized my voice and said, “Dear, you no longer need to confess this.” And this was from a Polish priest, who are notorious for giving you a long penance (which is not a bad thing).

 

[closet_leo]

Keep the Faith! I also suffer from PCOS and have to use birth control for medical reasons. Because PCOS can and does interrupt normal ovulation cycles it can actually help women like myself conceive. My two birth control babies were named Dominic and Jason The Lord is good - all the time

 

[bitterhope]

Keep the Faith! I also suffer from PCOS and have to use birth control for medical reasons. Because PCOS can and does interrupt normal ovulation cycles it can actually help women like myself conceive. My two birth control babies were named Dominic and Jason The Lord is good - all the time

I’ve met other ladies with PCOS say that they have taken the pill to achieve pregnancy instead of avoid it. I never knew that if really could work that way, but the four of them swear by it too. It somewhat makes since. It alters the hormones your body is making and the hormones your making naturally aren’t allowing pregnancy. One lady had twins on the pill.

 

[sherimarie]

No reason can be good enough to outweigh directly taking an innocent person’s life …

Double effect does follow here because of the abortifacient properties of the pill.

 

[Kelfa28]

No reason can be good enough to outweigh directly taking an innocent person’s life …

Double effect does follow here because of the abortifacient properties of the pill.

Is it too much to ask for people to quit attacking Catholics who are trying to treat medical conditions?

Why is this an okay thing to do?

Bullying is wrong.

 

[sherimarie]

sorry your feeling bullied. Not my intent.

This is an important issue, a lot of people are confused by this. Children’s lives are at stake souls are on the line.

 

[Kelfa28]

I’m on the pill to treat an undiagnosed medical problem that has caused me to be anemic and bleed profusely and cause me great pain and discomfort during menstruation.

The pill has fixed the pain, the profuse bleeding and the inevitable embarrassment that goes with it and the exhaustion.

I’m a much healthier and happier human being now.

 

[Kelfa28]

sorry your feeling bullied. Not my intent.

This is an important issue, a lot of people are confused by this. Children’s lives are at stake souls are on the line.

As are women’s general health and well-being.

Yes, I feel extremely bullied and shamed and actually put off treatment for my issues for several months because of posts like yours.

I’m not worried about something I can’t control. I am worried about my general health and wellbeing.

Attacking Catholics who are already struggling with a boulder needlessly forced on our shoulders is not helpful to the abortion cause.

Believe-it-or-not we are prolife too. But we also want to be healthy and the Church has no issue with us using medication to do so.

 

[Kelfa28]

You are purposely calling out faithful Catholics who are treating medical issues, who were or are in pain and seeking medical attention and accusing them of murder.

That is bullying and it’s really upsetting.

 

[sherimarie]

I don’t have a problem with you getting medical help. You can’t have sex though while your on the pill. It puts your kids in danger and it simply isn’t worth it.
Sorry.

 

[sherimarie]

You know what this reminds me of? The condom question!

Remember? There was a question, Is it ok to use a condom if you are not using it for it’s contraceptive benefit but in order to protect yourself from the transmission of HIV.

The Pope said" No."

Remember?

 

[Kelfa28]

I don’t have a problem with you getting medical help. You can’t have sex though while your on the pill. It puts your kids in danger and it simply isn’t worth it.
Sorry.

Wow. That is unbelievable you have the guts to say something like that to a complete stranger. Especially when you have zero authority to do so.

I’ve never seen such bullying behavior against fellow Catholics.

You are telling wives we can’t be intimate with our husbands? When we are literally doing NOTHING morally sinful according to Church teaching.

Please tell me…exactly and precisely…what authority you have to make a statement like that to a married woman who is also a practicing Catholic.

Is this your opinion or is this authentic Church teaching? If this is authentic Church teaching…I want to know exactly where it says I can’t be intimate with my husband while on the pill for a medical reason.

You are bullying me into thinking I’m a deliberate and purposeful murderer.

You’ve accused me of murdering children.

 

[1ke]

You can’t have sex though while your on the pill.

This is not accurate.

 

[Kelfa28]

You know what this reminds me of? The condom question!

Remember? There was a question, Is it ok to use a condom if you are not using it for it’s contraceptive benefit but in order to protect yourself from the transmission of HIV.

The Pope said" No."

Remember?

Apples and Oranges.

That isn’t double effect.

A condom doesn’t treat existing HIV/AIDS.

A pill does treat various medical conditions. We aren’t preventing anything…just treating something that we already have.

 

[1ke]

Wow. That is unbelievable you have the guts to say something like that to a complete stranger. Especially when you have zero authority to do so.

I’ve never seen such bullying behavior against fellow Catholics.

You are telling wives we can’t be intimate with our husbands? When we are literally doing NOTHING morally sinful according to Church teaching.

Please tell me…exactly and precisely…what authority you have to make a statement like that to a married woman who is also a practicing Catholic.

Is this your opinion or is this authentic Church teaching? If this is authentic Church teaching…I want to know exactly where it says I can’t be intimate with my husband while on the pill for a medical reason.

You are bullying me into thinking I’m a deliberate and purposeful murderer.

You’ve accused me of murdering children.

I really think you need to rethink participating in threads on this topic. You take personally what is not directed at you. You read in things that are not there. And you tend to attack aggressively when there is not evidence that the person has bad intentions. I don’t think you can be objective on this topic, and while you accuse this other poster of being a bully, actually in this case you are doing exactly that of which you accuse others. You have a lot of hurt around this topic. And those feelings are justified. But lashing out at those who don’t even know your posting history (and weren’t even posting to you) is not a solution.

There are many people who mistakenly believe this, in fact I’ve seen blogs and other forums where priests and others who are well known personalities say things to this effect. They have studied it and believe that is the proper interpretation of HV and the Vademecum for Confessors.

There are those of us who have studied it and believe that the Church does not have a clear cut teaching on this and that it is not always “yes” or always “no”-- the principle of double effect applies and therefore each couple must discern anew their situation in light of the prInciple of double effect.

That is why I suggested the OP consult the National Catholic Bioethics Center and not this forum on their specific situation.

Upon re reading, I see that the post was in response to another post of yours. However, I don’t think it is “bullying” it is simply a person arguing from their point of view that the thresholds of double effect are not met.