Pill

[Amy_1610]

i know that taking the pill for contraceptive purposes is, lets say ‘frowned upon’, but what about for other, medical purposes…is that okay?

 

[noclevername]

I take the “pill” for medical reasons. I cannot function daily without it because my menstural cycles are all messed up. I hurt all month long, my breast get so tender that I cannot even walk up the stairs. I am an avid cyclist and ride as much as I can and each ride is no less than an hour. My point about that is that I exercise more than most, most folks think more exercise will help with menstural problems but it doesn’t help mine. When I am not on my pills, I can barely walk because I am in so much abdominal and breast pain much less ride a bike. I am 37 years old and have had to be on this therapy since I was about 15 or 16 so I guarantee I’m not using as BC, I am using it for medical reasons.

And I know I still have to take the pills. About five years ago, I quit taking the pill because I wanted to see if I could function without it but I can’t. It took about six months for them to get completely out of my system but when they did, my issues came back tenfold.

However, I have had people tell me on this forum that it is still wrong for whatever reason. There are drugs in this world that are a lot more dangerous than BC pills that are perfectly fine to take according to Catholic law but not BC pills. And I am not trying to be defiant or start anything but I take them anyway because I have to. During the time I quit taking hte pills I explored every alternate means of therapy both natural and man made but nothing but my particular type of pill worked. It’s a matter of me being able to get out of bed and go to work every day and being able to walk up and down stairs and ride my bike. Women who only have a problem once a month rather than constantly do not understand my problem. And (please don’t take this next part the wrong way) but the men who make the laws will never understand the issue from this point of view because genetically they just can’t understand.

 

[Lil_M]

There is nothing wrong with taking the pill for non-contraceptive purposes (although I would make finding an alternative treatment a priority - a lot of your success with this depends on your doctor) as long as you are abstinent. If you are married that would definitely be a problem because the pill is an abortifacient.

 

[1ke]

i know that taking the pill for contraceptive purposes is, lets say ‘frowned upon’,

Let’s say what it actually is: it is intrinsically disordered, grave matter, a sin against the Sixth Commandment.

but what about for other, medical purposes…is that okay?

That would depend upon whether or not it meets the criteria outlined in Humanae Vitae and more recently in Dignitas Personae and meets the moral criteria of the Principle of Double Effect.

 

[Teakafrog]

If at all possible I would look for an alternative treatment. Not only is the pill abortifacient, but it has a lot of side effects on it’s own. It can cause blood clots and strokes for one. Also, not knowing what your problem is, I can still say that most GYN doctors greatly over-prescribe the pill for any and all problems, without really trying to find the actual cause of your problem and using the correct treatment–they just throw the pill at every ailment a woman has. I know several doctors tried to do that to me, until I went to a reproductive endocrinologist and got a correct diagnosis and found the proper treatment for my condition–which was not the BCP! This is your health, it’s worth it to do your homework and get second opinions from specialists.

 

[1ke]

And (please don’t take this next part the wrong way) but the men who make the laws will never understand the issue from this point of view because genetically they just can’t understand.

It is a misunderstanding of the moral law to apply to it the appelation of “man made.” The Church can only teach what God has ordained.

And, regarding a medical treatment with the side effect of infertility, see the linked documents. This is not prohibited by the Church.

The abortifacient properties of most formulations of the “Pill” is also discussed in Dignitas Personae.

 

[noclevername]

If at all possible I would look for an alternative treatment. Not only is the pill abortifacient, but it has a lot of side effects on it’s own. It can cause blood clots and strokes for one. Also, not knowing what your problem is, I can still say that most GYN doctors greatly over-prescribe the pill for any and all problems, without really trying to find the actual cause of your problem and using the correct treatment–they just throw the pill at every ailment a woman has. I know several doctors tried to do that to me, until I went to a reproductive endocrinologist and got a correct diagnosis and found the proper treatment for my condition–which was not the BCP! This is your health, it’s worth it to do your homework and get second opinions from specialists.

Sometimes, the diagnostic testing is worse and more dangerous than the treatment.