Is Birth Control Valid in certain circumstances?

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If someone has a rare genetic heart problem that has a 50% chance to be passed on, would it be acceptable to take birth control? This genetic trait is dominant and potentially life threatening.
 
No. Using contraception is an intrinsically evil act under any circumstances.
 
I might be wrong, but I think that birth control is only acceptable if it is a side effect of a drug used for a medical problem (and there is no alternative medication), such as the heart condition, but again maybe I’m wrong… If you are asking if it is ok for a person to use the birth control so that person will not pass down the heart deficiency to any children but they may still consummate, then no it is not acceptable. The consummation in this case would be lacking, it would turn into something purely for pleasure, when in fact God gave it to us to bear children.

I would say if God’s will was for this person to have a child with the same condition then it is God’s will. However, I believe, medication taken to reduce the chance of the child acquiring the defect would be ok. Just not medication taken to reduce the chance of having any children at all.

Hope that helps. 👍

Christ has Risen!
 
Pumped4Christ said:
If someone has a rare genetic heart problem that has a 50% chance to be passed on, would it be acceptable to take birth control? This genetic trait is dominant and potentially life threatening.
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My opinion only: (I am not a doctor, nor am I a canon lawyer)
Taking birth-control or using birth-control is a slap in the face of God. Persons who use birth-control are saying… “I don’t trust you, God.” I don’t trust that You will provide for me. I don’t trust that You will take care of my health. I don’t trust You.

Now… Go talk to you priest… Also, Find a doctor (OB GYN) Catholic doctor to get the real answers about birth-control. Most injected birth-control or oral birth control would probably be more harmful to your health then having a baby.
 
From what I understsand, there are cases where it is acceptable to take the pill, for example, if it is used to treat some medical condition, as long as the purpose is not for birth control. The birth control part would have to be incidental to the case.
 
Scoobyshme said:
From what I understsand, there are cases where it is acceptable to take the pill, for example, if it is used to treat some medical condition, as long as the purpose is not for birth control. The birth control part would have to be incidental to the case.
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And in that case, I am pretty sure the user would have to be celibate. It is kind of a strange way to phrase the answer. Birth control is only acceptable if it is not birth control. Medicines traditionally used as birth control may be used to treat other things, if there is legitimate cause.
 
Beth_Cecilia said:
And in that case, I am pretty sure the user would have to be celibate. It is kind of a strange way to phrase the answer. Birth control is only acceptable if it is not birth control. Medicines traditionally used as birth control may be used to treat other things, if there is legitimate cause.
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No, the church does not require a woman who uses the pill for medicinal purposes to abstain from marital relations. Some moral theologians do express that opinion , however.
 
Pumped4Christ said:
If someone has a rare genetic heart problem that has a 50% chance to be passed on, would it be acceptable to take birth control? This genetic trait is dominant and potentially life threatening.
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There is a difference between birth control (the spacing or planning of children) and contraception.

Controlling, spacing, or avoiding children for a time or indefinitely is not intrinsically immoral and the Church teaches we can certainly do so for just reasons such as those you cite.

Contraception is **not **a **moral **means of doing so. Natural Family Planning or complete abstinence would be moral means to avoid children indefinitely due to a medical condition.
 
Compendium of the Catechism: issued by Pope Benedict XVI
  1. When is it moral to regulate births?
2368-2369
2399

The regulation of births, which is an aspect of responsible fatherhood and motherhood, is objectively morally acceptable when it is pursued by the spouses without external pressure; when it is practiced not out of selfishness but for serious reasons; and with methods that conform to the objective criteria of morality, that is, periodic continence and use of the infertile periods.
  1. What are immoral means of birth control?
2370-2372

Every action - for example, direct sterilization or contraception - is intrinsically immoral which (either in anticipation of the conjugal act, in its accomplishment or in the development of its natural consequences) proposes, as an end or as a means, to hinder procreation.
 
Beth_Cecilia said:
And in that case, I am pretty sure the user would have to be celibate. It is kind of a strange way to phrase the answer. Birth control is only acceptable if it is not birth control. Medicines traditionally used as birth control may be used to treat other things, if there is legitimate cause.
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I would certainly think that this is a “legitimate” cause to use ABC. Just MHO. 🤷
 
kozlosap said:
I would certainly think that this is a “legitimate” cause to use ABC. Just MHO. 🤷
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The Pill can NEVER, for ANY reason, be used for the direct purpose of avoiding pregnancy.

It may be used to treat a medical condition (e.g., endometriosis, PCOS) if there is no other ethical treatment available, as long as the contraceptive qualities are only a side effect. This is known as the principle of double effect.

To recap:

Using the Pill for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy, for any reason: intrinsically evil

Using the Pill to treat severe endometrial pain with the side effect of inhibiting ovulation: morally acceptable but not recommended if there are better alternatives
 
It’s funny you should ask this as I have HCM, which has a 50/50 chance of being passed to any child that I were to have. My understanding is “no”, birth control is still not permitted. If by birth control, you mean “the pill”, that is generally considered dangerous for people with heart conditions as it puts you at higher risk of having heart episodes. NFP is allowed.

“I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” Mother Theresa
 
Will_B said:
My opinion only: (I am not a doctor, nor am I a canon lawyer)
Taking birth-control or using birth-control is a slap in the face of God. Persons who use birth-control are saying… “I don’t trust you, God.” I don’t trust that You will provide for me. I don’t trust that You will take care of my health. I don’t trust You.
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Or: I do trust You, God, and I am very grateful that in You have given scientists the inspiration to come up with a method so that I can still have a normal sexual relation with my wife/husband and at the same time make sure that my condition does not get passed on.
 
The semantics are kind of messed up here. People aren’t really using “birth control” or “contraception” to treat things like endometriosis. They are using hormone therapy, which has the side effect of reducing/eliminating fertility. ABC isn’t what it is, it’s what it does And of course the waters are just muddied by the fact that the cheapest and most convenient way to buy that hormone therapy is in ABC packaging.

I’m not in favor of those hormonal therapies, because they can be downright dangerous, but I’m sad that some women live in awful pain bc they don’t know about NaPro, but they won’t consider “birth control” either.
 
1ke said:
So, do you not understand what instrinsically evil means?
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Many years ago I remember reading an article about nuns who were given artificial birth control pills…they were living in a third world country where rape and other violence were running rampant for a while…if this article was in fact true, would that use also be intrinsically evil in your opinion?
 
It’s not intrinsically evil to render rape sterile. Rape is not required to be unitive and procreative.
 
petras52 said:
Many years ago I remember reading an article about nuns who were given artificial birth control pills…they were living in a third world country where rape and other violence were running rampant for a while…if this article was in fact true, would that use also be intrinsically evil in your opinion?
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It is the teaching of Holy Mother Church that using contraception is an intrinsically evil act. It is not a matter of opinion.
 
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