Doctors and Birth Control

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catholicwifeforlife1

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Does anyone have simple ways of explaining to your doctor why you don’t take birth control? Has anyone faced peer pressure from their doctor in this area?
 
Just simply explain to the doctor that as a Catholic, ABC is not permitted and you follow and agree with church teaching. If they have a problem with it or make you feel uncomfortable, find another doctor.
 
I don’t go into any moral arguments. “No.” is a complete sentence. There are plenty of secular reasons for not wanting to stuff yourself full of hormones.
 
I am so glad I am old enough not to get that question any more.
Every doctor thought it was terribly funny to tell me they call people who use NFP parents.
I just learned to ignore them.
 
catholicwifeforlife1 said:
Does anyone have simple ways of explaining to your doctor why you don’t take birth control?
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You don’t need to explain anything. A simple “no thank you” should suffice.
catholicwifeforlife1 said:
Has anyone faced peer pressure from their doctor in this area?
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No actually. My OB/GYNs simply offered and I declined. No one ever tried to pressure me into anything. and if they had, they’d have gotten an ear full.
 
Usually what I’ve had is the assumption that a woman taking birth control must be sexually active, and pressure to do a bunch of testing for pregnancy and STD’s and whatnot.
 
I’ve been asked if I was on birth control, but no doctor has every asked me if I wanted to be on it.
 
I changed OBs a lot because we moved around and after a few kids I got asked and told that awful joke at each postpartum visit.
 
“My husband and I have chosen to forego (insert name of the drug/appliance/surgery they are offering). Please make a note in my file so we do not have this conversation again.” Repeat this with a smile every time they go at you.
 
Mention something about it cause blood pressure problems and not being healthy. They will back off.
 
Actually, I think keeping the conversation to “These are my values, this is what I find acceptable” is going to be a lot more effective than arguing about medical detriments. If your practitioner doesn’t treat you with proper respect for your decisions, find another. Doctors and nurses are supposed to work with the patient’s values, not impose their own; an ob can think you’re a dummy for not getting an IUD, but it would be grossly unethical to attempt to pressure you into one.
 
This is one reason I have used a Family Practice doc instead of a GYN. Family Practice docs, in my experience, see me as a whole person.
 
No I told them that NFP worked for me. It was 18 years between my last pregnancy and menopause.
 
TheLittleLady said:
This is one reason I have used a Family Practice doc instead of a GYN. Family Practice docs, in my experience, see me as a whole person.
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Not sure where you are but in my area family practice don’t do GYN health or any pregnancy care so you’re pretty much forced to go to an OB/GYN
 
Interesting. Everywhere I have lived as an adult (3 states, 5 different regions) the Family Practice docs to it all!
 
In our area malpractice rates are through the roof for anyone who delivers babies. Too many things have gone wrong.
 
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I was thinking of just saying “we’re trying for a baby at the moment” or “we’re open to having a baby at the moment”.
 
You can say whatever you wish, of course, but if you want to avoid the doctors bringing up birth control at every visit it might be worth stating that you are not open to any birth control, period, please don’t bring it up again. As I said, any decent doctor will respect your wishes. I am okay with some BC methods but not others (I’m a Protestant, by the way), and my doctors have been very respectful and helpful in their discussions with me.
 
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