Birth Control Question

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jeanne71350

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Hi there,

I have a really bad menstrual cycle. It’s very heavy and painful to the point of me vomitting and having to miss class. Over the counter medicine helps, but dosen’t get rid of it. If I would take birth control to ease my periods up, but be pure and avoid sex, would that be a sin?

-Jeanne
 
jeanne71350 said:
Hi there,

I have a really bad menstrual cycle. It’s very heavy and painful to the point of me vomitting and having to miss class. Over the counter medicine helps, but dosen’t get rid of it. If I would take birth control to ease my periods up, but be pure and avoid sex, would that be a sin?

-Jeanne
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As I understand it, the sin lies not in the use of the medication, but in using it in sex to avoid conception. If you are not having sex, there is no conception to avoid and therefore there is no sin. IANAP though.
 
jeanne71350 said:
Hi there,

I have a really bad menstrual cycle. It’s very heavy and painful to the point of me vomitting and having to miss class. Over the counter medicine helps, but dosen’t get rid of it. If I would take birth control to ease my periods up, but be pure and avoid sex, would that be a sin?

-Jeanne
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Birth control pills are licit when taken for medical reasons, and you can do so without guilt. However, very heavy and very painful periods and vomitting are not normal; these symptoms are indicative of a larger fertility issue and I think you would do better to find an NFP-only physician who will help you get to the root of the problem, rather than mask it with hormones.
 
nodito said:
Birth control pills are licit when taken for medical reasons, and you can do so without guilt. However, very heavy and very painful periods and vomitting are not normal; these symptoms are indicative of a larger fertility issue and I think you would do better to find an NFP-only physician who will help you get to the root of the problem, rather than mask it with hormones.
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I’m not going on birth control right now (My parents won’t let me) I’m just wodnering if it’s a sin.
 
jeanne71350 said:
I’m not going on birth control right now (My parents won’t let me) I’m just wodnering if it’s a sin.
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Okay, well in that case, as a minor you’re obliged to obey your parents when what they ask of you is reasonable. But maybe you should ask that they take you to a pro-NFP gynecologist (you can find referrals at www.omsoul.com) so you can figure what’s going on with your terrible cycles.
 
It could really help your issue. Don’t be too quick to discount it.
 
jeanne71350 said:
Hi there,

I have a really bad menstrual cycle. It’s very heavy and painful to the point of me vomitting and having to miss class. Over the counter medicine helps, but dosen’t get rid of it. If I would take birth control to ease my periods up, but be pure and avoid sex, would that be a sin?

-Jeanne
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Morally speaking - as long as you are not sexually active while taking birth control it is completely acceptable.

Physically speaking (I’ve been where you are), while birth control may help you now, it will not help you in the future. What I mean is that eventually you’re going to want to marry (probably) and have children. When that time comes, you’ll have to go off the birth control. When that happens, you’ll be right where you are now. Your system will not have been able to mature and equalize as it would (hopefully) without the medication. IMO your best bet would be to find a good NFP-only doctor/ob/gyn to help you figure out WHY your cycles are so horrible. It could be easily FIXED so you don’t ever have to worry about it again. It could also be an on-going problem that will give you a heads-up abour your future fertility (ie if you have PCOS, you’ll need treatment for that when you want to get pregnant too). PLEASE visit a NFP-only doctor (ob/gyn) to get this lined out. You’ll be very greatful in the long run I think.
 
BiologyBrain said:
Morally speaking - as long as you are not sexually active while taking birth control it is completely acceptable.

I know you say this a lot but the church doesn’t teach this. The church teaching is that it may be taken as a medical treatment if necessary even if you are married and sexually active under the principal of double effect. A single person should of course not be sexually active anyway.
Physically speaking (I’ve been where you are), while birth control may help you now, it will not help you in the future. What I mean is that eventually you’re going to want to marry (probably) and have children. When that time comes, you’ll have to go off the birth control. When that happens, you’ll be right where you are now. Your system will not have been able to mature and equalize as it would (hopefully) without the medication. IMO your best bet would be to find a good NFP-only doctor/ob/gyn to help you figure out WHY your cycles are so horrible. It could be easily FIXED so you don’t ever have to worry about it again. It could also be an on-going problem that will give you a heads-up abour your future fertility (ie if you have PCOS, you’ll need treatment for that when you want to get pregnant too). PLEASE visit a NFP-only doctor (ob/gyn) to get this lined out. You’ll be very greatful in the long run I think.
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jeanne71350 said:
Hi there,

I have a really bad menstrual cycle. It’s very heavy and painful to the point of me vomitting and having to miss class. Over the counter medicine helps, but dosen’t get rid of it. If I would take birth control to ease my periods up, but be pure and avoid sex, would that be a sin?

-Jeanne
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If you were not having sex and using birth control for medical reasons it wouldn’t be a sin…however…

Birth Control pills can be very unpleasant (you don’t really get that from all the commercials of women in bathing suits enjoying themselves on a pool deck and talking about how you only have to have your period a few times a year). Before I converted I tried quite a few different kinds, regular ones, low dose ones, the ring and progestrone pills. I had horrible migraines and extreme mood swings with every single kind that I tried. They caused me to break out and gain weight. I really felt crazy the entire time I was on them, not just during my period.

Each time I went off of them I felt like a different person and was so much happier.

Since it sounds like there is a problem I would second what other people are telling you and try to find an NFP doctor. If you go to the American Association of Pro Life OB/GYNs you should be able to find a doctor that could help in your area. The website is aaplog.org/ and you can search to find one close to you. I hope you figure out what’s going on so you can feel better!
 
I know you say this a lot but the church doesn’t teach this. The church teaching is that it may be taken as a medical treatment if necessary even if you are married and sexually active under the principal of double effect. A single person should of course not be sexually active anyway.
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Actually, the Church’s teaching is a lot more ambiguous that either you or I would like it to be. There is a LOT of debate among theologians about this specific issue. I personally prefer to be on the side of caution and advise no sexual activity while on birth control. There are countless theologians who agree with me. The principle of double effect is NOT clearly defined in this instance (that’s why theologians disagree so vehemently). Therefore, your statement is not entirely accurate either, but it is quite possibly much more problematic (morally speaking) than mine.

Example - the best I’ve found so far
Example
Example
 
I emailed the NCBC and this is the response I got-
Re: ConsultHello Dianne,
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I’m sorry for the delay in replying to your consult. It somehow slipped through the cracks. Insofar as the pill is medically indicated for treatment of a specific and serious ailment, the unintended loss of fertility is not a problem from the moral angle, because this represents an instance of the application of the principle of double effect, assuming that all the requirements of the principle are met. If there were to be an effect on rates of miscarriage (and there is considerable controversy and doubt regarding whether the pill has that effect), it would still be permissible to take the pill under such circumstances, in virtue of the same principle, again assuming the conditions for its application were validly met. The activity of shared marital intimacy would not be causing the miscarriages (if they, in fact, occurred), because the kind of action that marital intercourse represents is not a miscarrying kind of act, but rather a kind of act that engenders new life. Whether that life, after having been engendered, is enabled to implant or not does not depend on the decision to engage in the sexual act itself, but may depend on another act, namely, the taking of the contraceptive pill. The taking of the contraceptive pill will not be licit for contaceptive purposes, but may be licit for the abovementioned therapeutic purposes, and the couple would be free to participate in conjugal relations in that properly therapeutic scenario. I hope this is helpful.
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ncbcenter.org/aboutus.asp

Father Serpa from this website has repeatedly given the same advice.

I think this may be a case of EWTN being more cautious than the church calls for. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But we must be careful to say that this is an individuals opinion and not church teaching.
 
Thanks everyone for the answers. I’m going to try to get to a NFP OBGYN.

The reason I’m wondering is, I’ve gotten several answers. Some people said it’s ok if you’re not sexually active, some have told me that its a sin in all circumstances due to all of the over-the-counter medicines out there, and some have said that its a sin if you are taking it for a medical reason, then decide to have sex. I was confused.

But I’m going to try to go to a doctor to discuss my options. I’m dead set on waiting until marriage, so you don’t need to worry about that!

-Jeanne
 
In the OPs circumstance she doesn’t have to worry about the morality of being sexually active while on birth control. However, for further edification, I asked the question directly to EWTN. While some may indicate that they are being ultra-conservative, I think this stance is one that is obviously in line with the Church’s stance - all life is worth dignity & protection.

ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=578655
 
The question sounds heavily biased? It would be wise to consider that other things affect pregnancy certainly things known to damage should be avoid, yet as has been correctly pointed out by Father Serpa the restriction is not a legal requirement. The concept of double effect is so overused I prefer to ignore it.
 
I am in your exact position. I vomited and passed-out every month. It is my understanding that estrogen/progesterone therapy prescribed for health reasons (if you’re not having sex, it’s not really preventing birth) is fine, so I’m on it. I’m on the lowest dose available (technically it’s so low it can’t really be used as birth control). It’s enough to keep everything under control, but no ill effects.
 
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