MUST use NFP/total abstinence while on the pill for medical reasons?

[Convert_in_99]

I did not kknow that. I am sorry you are having to go through this.

Thanks! I’ve had this (even though I didn’t realize what it was until 3 years ago) for over 20 years. The pain and heavy bleeding you learn to endure somewhat. The infertility and miscarriage are actually what’s most unbearable to me.

 

[SusanneT]

One condition that even Napro can’t always help is Endometriosis. I personally just deal with the painful, heavy periods cause I would feel I needed to abstain while on it. But the pill can successfully manage endometriosis symptoms by helping prevent further scar tissue from developing. A body can only go through so many surgeries. Most people with severe endo need surgery at least once every other year to eradicate painful scar tissue.!

I agree as a couple we would also feel the need to abstain.

For me it would be a moral issue but even if it were not simply because of the contraceptive effect, isn’t there a chance of the Pill leading to the abortion of a fertilised embryo ?

 

[UbiCaritas]

I agree as a couple we would also feel the need to abstain.

For me it would be a moral issue but even if it were not simply because of the contraceptive effect, isn’t there a chance of the Pill leading to the abortion of a fertilised embryo ?

It’s possible, but unlikely.

In the case of using hormonal contraception to deal with a medical problem such as endometriosis, the contraceptive and potentially abortifacient effects are considered unintended consequences from a moral perspective.

Morally, it’s like an operation to remove a baby who’s implanted in the mom’s fallopian tube instead of her uterus. The baby can’t survive while implanted there, and when the baby grows big enough, the tube will rupture, causing mom to bleed out and potentially go septic, both of which would kill her. Therefore, it’s morally licit to remove the baby, even though doing so will kill the baby, in order to save the mother’s life, because the intent in doing so is to save the mother’s life and not to kill the baby. (Hopefully, of course, technology and medical science will someday advance to the point where a baby implanted in the wrong place can be put into mom’s uterus and continue to develop, but we’re not there yet.)

In short, it’s morally acceptable (per Humanae Vitae as quoted above) to continue having sex while on the pill for medical reasons like endometriosis, but that also doesn’t mean that you have to; I suspect that DH and I wouldn’t be okay with the possible consequences either if we faced a similar situation.