IUD

[Tom_Vinca]

International Family has an article on its web site that explained pretty clearly that It is a contraceptive and does not seem to be something that facilitates abortion, though it is possible that this might happen. It is primarily, however, functioning as a contraceptive…If it does end up as an abortion, my understanding is that it would be rare…The moralist in charge of this question treated it as definitely an abortive device…does anyone agree with my version of this?

 

[Corki]

Since you didn’t provide a link, we can’t read the article you are referring to.

However, most of the nuances about abortifacient versions of contraception, including IUDs, are convoluted by changing the definition of pregnancy. If you understand pregnancy to start at conception, there is no doubt that IUDs end pregnancy since their primary action is to prevent implantation. If you buy into the new definition of pregnancy which holds that pregnancy doesn’t happen until implantation, then you can do some mental gymnastics and try to assert that if pregnancy doesn’t occur until implantation, then any killing of the pre-born before implantation is not technically an abortion.

It’s not a moral issue since killing the pre-born is just as immoral before implantation as after. It’s just a linguistic exercise.

 

[Rence]

International Family has an article on its web site that explained pretty clearly that It is a contraceptive and does not seem to be something that facilitates abortion, though it is possible that this might happen. It is primarily, however, functioning as a contraceptive…If it does end up as an abortion, my understanding is that it would be rare…The moralist in charge of this question treated it as definitely an abortive device…does anyone agree with my version of this?

First of all, this is a Catholic forum and I will start by saying that the Catholic Church is crystal clear about the teaching that artificial means of birth control are not allowed, at all, under any circumstances for the purpose of contraception. And that ensoulment begins at the moment of conception. However, hormone therapy is allowed for medicla reasons, as long as the primary intent is not contraception.

As to what I agree with, I agree that those who take contraception and use IUDs are doing so to prevent conception.

There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not these devices can or do cause abortions because while the Church teaches that ensoulment begins at the moment of conception, the medical community does not regard someone as pregnant until HcG levels rise in a woman’s blood, which corresponds to implantation, which occurs 5-7 days after conception. They just have no way to verify someone as being pregnant or not until then. Therefore, one is not considered pregnant until HcG levels indicate that they are.

Not only that, but current research suggests that spontaneous abortions occur in as much as 50% or more of conceptions, without the woman ever knowing. That’s said…

Medically speaking, these devices prevent pregnancy in two ways (by inhibiting ovulation, and by changing the body so that implantation does not occur). Therefore, if you are Catholic (or someone who believes that pregnancy starts with conception), then yes, the IUD can induce abortions. If you don’t believe pregnancy starts until implantation, then there probably would be no way to convince you that the IUD causes abortions…

But I can definitely understand why the Church teaches what it does. The rationale is very easy to understand.

 

[EvelynEVF]

I just ordered some pamphlets from CCLI, and the one on hormonal contraceptives, which many IUDs would be, says that about 8% of the time there can be ovulation. That looks like one in twelve cycles, which would be about once a year for many women, though of course they may not conceive as often.

Non-hormonal IUDs could cause a miscarriage every month. In fact, Elizabeth Davis, a very prominent spiritual-but-not-religious (my interpretation of her writing) midwife and midwifery teacher, wrote that she can no longer consider an IUD acceptable, because of the psychological impact of miscarrying month after month. The literature says that users may have heavier than usual periods, but that’s because they are miscarrying, and when women make that connection, it can be devastating.

 

[1ke]

does anyone agree with my version of this?

No.

Since one of the primary actions of the IUD is to irritate and thin the uterine lining preventing implantation of an already-conceived child, I would say that your version is inaccurate.

That it has multiple ways of acting does not negate this very important one.

Also, whether abortifacient or merely contraceptive, IUDs are immoral in all cases.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

International Family has an article on its web site that explained pretty clearly that It is a contraceptive and does not seem to be something that facilitates abortion, though it is possible that this might happen. It is primarily, however, functioning as a contraceptive…If it does end up as an abortion, my understanding is that it would be rare…The moralist in charge of this question treated it as definitely an abortive device…does anyone agree with my version of this?

IUDs generally work by prohibiting implantation. We believe that life begins at conception. Therefore, prohibiting implantation is considered an abortion because it ends a life which has already been conceived.

Of course, using contraception is itself a mortal sin, the fact that it causes abortions just makes it that much more heinous. Although, I think if you asking canonically, it does not cause an excommunication (IANACL – I am not a canon lawyer) which seems to be more directed towards abortions following implantation (i.e. RU-486 up through partial birth abortions) so you would not need the bishop to lift your excommunication (although most priests in the US have been given faculties by their bishops to absolve people of the sin of abortion and lift their excommunications because of the tragic high prevalence of abortion).

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

I just ordered some pamphlets from CCLI, and the one on hormonal contraceptives, which many IUDs would be, says that about 8% of the time there can be ovulation. That looks like one in twelve cycles, which would be about once a year for many women, though of course they may not conceive as often.

Non-hormonal IUDs could cause a miscarriage every month. In fact, Elizabeth Davis, a very prominent spiritual-but-not-religious (my interpretation of her writing) midwife and midwifery teacher, wrote that she can no longer consider an IUD acceptable, because of the psychological impact of miscarrying month after month. The literature says that users may have heavier than usual periods, but that’s because they are miscarrying, and when women make that connection, it can be devastating.

We usually call an intentional miscarriage an “abortion”.

 

[EvelynEVF]

Indeed we do. But notice that I am talking about women being devastated when they find out what is going on–so many of them are ignorant, and so the abortion is not intentional. I’m not arguing a bit with the evil of it all.

I am thinking in particular of a very young, prolife woman I met a couple months ago. She wants a big family. And yet, in the throes of postpartum depression, her supposedly prolife physician inserted an IUD. She asked for information, and I provided it, but it was enough of a heartbreak to hear she may have been repeatedly miscarrying, without feeling accused of aborting/murdering her babies.

I work with pregnant and postpartum moms, so I really watch my language for their sake.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

Indeed we do. But notice that I am talking about women being devastated when they find out what is going on–so many of them are ignorant, and so the abortion is not intentional. I’m not arguing a bit with the evil of it all.

I am thinking in particular of a very young, prolife woman I met a couple months ago. She wants a big family. And yet, in the throes of postpartum depression, her supposedly prolife physician inserted an IUD. She asked for information, and I provided it, but it was enough of a heartbreak to hear she may have been repeatedly miscarrying, without feeling accused of aborting/murdering her babies.

I work with pregnant and postpartum moms, so I really watch my language for their sake.

No, that’s fine, and certainly if people don’t know that’s how IUDs work (or that hormonal contraceptives have a good chance of that occurring) then they are not guilty of the sin of abortion. But they are still guilty, of course, of the sin of contracepting.

I just felt that was a strange way of putting it – intentional miscarriage. But thank you for your work with pregnant/postpartum women!

 

[sherimarie]

I am posting this link so you all can look this up and be as disgusted as i was at the blatent lies in this websight.paragard.com/ it is almost unbelievable, they say at one point that they THINK the way it works primarily is to stop the sperm from reaching the egg! How does that work, i am just so sick of people taking this junk and never second guessing the Drs so thanks for the post, people need to hear this!

 

[cathoichelp]

I am posting this link so you all can look this up and be as disgusted as i was at the blatent lies in this websight.paragard.com/ it is almost unbelievable, they say at one point that they THINK the way it works primarily is to stop the sperm from reaching the egg! How does that work, i am just so sick of people taking this junk and never second guessing the Drs so thanks for the post, people need to hear this!

I can answer that -
It makes your cervical mucus hostile to make it harder for sperm to reach an egg if you do ovulate -
Hormone IUDS work in 3 ways - they “often” (but not always) prevent ovulation - They change cervical mucus to make it hard for sperm to reach an egg should there be one - and they make the lining of your uterus thin so if the previous 2 fail an embryo is unlikely to be able to implant
Non hormone IUDs
Do not prevent ovulation rather they create a physical barrier between sperm and its path to the egg (so to speak)
Its placed near the top of the uterus making it hard for sperm to pass through -
It also effects the lining of your uterus effecting implantation - basically having a foreign body inside the uterus irritates it and prevents implantation.

If you are a Catholic or Christian (believing life begins at conception) hormonal and non hormonal IUDs would both be correctly described to cause an abortion (or possibly cause rather you wouldn’t know that is what happened) -

Both effect the lining of your uterus which prevents implantation - This is not the only function but it certainly is a know function of IUDs-

 

[vera_dicere]

We usually call an intentional miscarriage an “abortion”.

Interestingly, the medical term for miscarriage is “abortion”, whereas the medical term for abortion that the public knows it as is either “Medical or surgical termination of pregnancy”.

But because so many people think abortion = termination and not miscarriage, the medical community and the general public refer to abortion as miscarriage.

As for IUDs, no one is really sure how they work, people THINK they work either by preventing ovulation or irritating the uterine lining, but no one has been able to pin point its exact mechanism.

 

[cathoichelp]

Interestingly, the medical term for miscarriage is “abortion”, whereas the medical term for abortion that the public knows it as is either “Medical or surgical termination of pregnancy”.

But because so many people think abortion = termination and not miscarriage, the medical community and the general public refer to abortion as miscarriage.

As for IUDs, no one is really sure how they work, people THINK they work either by preventing ovulation or irritating the uterine lining, but no one has been able to pin point its exact mechanism.

A miscarriage is a spontaneous abortion - a chosen abortion is either elective abortion or medical abortion depending on the method- yes?

That’s true we are not 100 percent sure especially w cooper (or non hormonal IUDs) but we are more unsure of how they work all the time than the way they work they work in general - they seem to work in a combination of ways!
The hormone IUD releases hormones that make your lining thin which is why it can be (and is) used medically to lessen heavy periods and pain from your period.

I recently was given a study by my doctor they found that after 3 years with mirena the rate of ovulation with the IUD was higher but the over all pregnancy rate - or fail rate of the IUD was unchanged… It seems ovulation starts to come back the longer you have the IUD-
But we know that hormone IUDs effect the lining of the uterus and reduce menstrual flow.

At any rate if you believe life begins at conception an IUD would not be a good option unless it was a last resort for a medical issue.

 

[EvelynEVF]

An added worry with the IUD is that if you do manage to get pregnant, and the baby does manage to implant, you’re stuck with an awful choice:

a)Remove the IUD and risk injuring the placenta and causing miscarriage, or
b) Leave it in and risk birth defects and/or uterine perforation.

It’s a no-win situation from the minute the thing gets inserted, and I’m appalled that they are considered a viable option.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

At any rate if you believe life begins at conception an IUD would not be a good option unless it was a last resort for a medical issue.

It would still be gravely sinful.

You can take hormones or have surgery that happens to have a contraceptive/sterilizing effect as long as the intended effect is not to prevent pregnancy. But I don’t see how an IUD could be used for anything other than contraception.

 

[cathoichelp]

It would still be gravely sinful.

You can take hormones or have surgery that happens to have a contraceptive/sterilizing effect as long as the intended effect is not to prevent pregnancy. But I don’t see how an IUD could be used for anything other than contraception.

I have spoken with the Catholic Bioethics center about this …
It’s complicated and very rare that the medical need would arise - and intent has a lot to do with the actual answer to this -
BUT that aside you are correct from a Catholic stand point an IUD is almost never acceptable

 

[sherimarie]

Does anyone here buy the whole “thickening the mucus makes it hard for the sperm to travel” etc ? I have been under the opinion that any kind if mucus can help facilitate a pregnancy.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

I have spoken with the Catholic Bioethics center about this …
It’s complicated and very rare that the medical need would arise - and intent has a lot to do with the actual answer to this -
BUT that aside you are correct from a Catholic stand point an IUD is almost never acceptable

Do you have an example of a case in which an IUD would be used for something other than to prevent pregnancy?

 

[cathoichelp]

Do you have an example of a case in which an IUD would be used for something other than to prevent pregnancy?

If birth control pills were not effective or the side effects were not compatible - and you had a medical issue that caused problems during your period - but did not want to have a uterine ablation because it destroys fertility -
Then depending on intent - and persons involved - there are a lot of what ifs -

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

If birth control pills were not effective or the side effects were not compatible - and you had a medical issue that caused problems during your period - but did not want to have a uterine ablation because it destroys fertility -
Then depending on intent - and persons involved - there are a lot of what ifs -

That is a lot of “ifs” and as someone who is not a medical doctor, I think it’s safest to just say “don’t do it”.

I hear the Pope Paul VI institute has helped women who might otherwise use hormones to control their periods do so naturally.