Question about birth control!

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sunnygt

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So I’m in kind of a predicament. I use contraception (the Nuvaring to be exact) to combat symptoms of having moderate/severe endometriosis. Without my bc, I am in excruciating pain every month for about 3 days, to the point where I sometimes black out, throw up, and experience menorrhagia. I’ve ended up in the hospital several times, twice nearly needing blood transfusions. After starting to use contraception for reasons of combating this crippling condition, my life is completely different and I experience minimal discomfort only during that time. It truly changed my life and mental health and wellbeing, as I didn’t dread what would await me every month.

I am also currently married and sexually active with my husband. I do NOT want to stop using my contraception because it is the only thing that manages my condition, and I really can’t afford to be going to the emergency room every few months or being laid up in bed unable to function for the others. I’ve seen several women’s health doctors and all of them have encouraged me to continue with the medication for health purposes. Given that I have been using contraception for health purposes before I was sexually active and continue to do so, does that make this a sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church? Just wondering what every one thinks!
 
I don’t believe it is a sin, as long as you are using it for health purposes, not to prevent pregnancy.
 
But what if I’m using it for health purposes but it inadvertantly has the effect of preventing pregnancy, then what? This is kind of one of those ‘grey area’ questions. Honestly, I am not planning on stopping because of the health concerns that comes with stopping, but I am wondering whether or not this is something I should bring up in confession.
 
sunnygt said:
But what if I’m using it for health purposes but it inadvertantly has the effect of preventing pregnancy, then what? This is kind of one of those ‘grey area’ questions. Honestly, I am not planning on stopping because of the health concerns that comes with stopping, but I am wondering whether or not this is something I should bring up in confession.
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If you had the ability to rid of the side effect, would you? If that answer is “yes,” then it most likely wouldn’t be a sin, because you have no intention of preventing pregnancy.

EDIT: Like the user mentioned below, maybe you should abstain from relations while you are on birth control. If you are going to be using birth control for a long time, maybe you should discuss with you confessor if you are allowed to have sex with your husband, so you do not have to abstain from sex for a long time.
 
I have understood that if you were needing to be on a bc for health purposes that you shouldn’t have relations, however I can see where the rule of double effect might come into play here. I would talk to a Pro Life Dr. or contact the National Bioethics Association.
 
Brigid34 said:
I have understood that if you were needing to be on a bc for health purposes that you shouldn’t have relations, however I can see where the rule of double effect might come into play here. I would talk to a Pro Life Dr. or contact the National Bioethics Association.
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There is no Church teaching which says you have to abstain while using hormones to treat a legitimate medical condition. The fact that one of the side effects is reduced fertility doesn’t change anything. If it is not intended then there is no sin in it. And there is no sin in having relations while infertile, so there is no problem with having relations with your husband while suffering through infertility as a side effect of a legitimate medical treatment. If you are still unsure about it talk to a priest, but there is no problem here.
 
My wife currently has to use a birth control pill (low dosage) to help her ovarian cysts. We’re hoping to find a more natural and healthy alternative, since it is contraceptive and bc pills have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

The Church’s position is that using a prescribed birth control pill for medical purposes is allowed with the contraceptive effects being a side-effect, just like using any other medication with possibly harmful side effects is allowed for medical purposes. Using it for the contraceptive effects is not allowed. So you are in the clear, but just like with my wife and I, I hope you also search for a more natural and healthy alternative if possible because of the harmful aspects of the bc pills.
 
sunnygt said:
So I’m in kind of a predicament. I use contraception (the Nuvaring to be exact) to combat symptoms of having moderate/severe endometriosis. Without my bc, I am in excruciating pain every month for about 3 days, to the point where I sometimes black out, throw up, and experience menorrhagia. I’ve ended up in the hospital several times, twice nearly needing blood transfusions. After starting to use contraception for reasons of combating this crippling condition, my life is completely different and I experience minimal discomfort only during that time. It truly changed my life and mental health and wellbeing, as I didn’t dread what would await me every month.

I am also currently married and sexually active with my husband. I do NOT want to stop using my contraception because it is the only thing that manages my condition, and I really can’t afford to be going to the emergency room every few months or being laid up in bed unable to function for the others. I’ve seen several women’s health doctors and all of them have encouraged me to continue with the medication for health purposes. Given that I have been using contraception for health purposes before I was sexually active and continue to do so, does that make this a sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church? Just wondering what every one thinks!
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In your case, you aren’t using “contraception”; you are taking a hormonal treatment for a real medical disorder. The fact that the same hormone can be used for contraception is coincidental.

That being said, as a married woman, there is going to be a time when you will be ready to start a family. What happens when you go off the hormones to get pregnant? If these hormones are not actually treating the condition but just masking it, you will need a more permanent solution eventually.
 
Thanks for the advice and opinions everyone! I have looked into and tried some more natural treatments for this condition, but to no effective avail. I suppose when the time comes and I am trying for children I will obviously abstain from birth control until I am able to concieve and of course during the pregnancy (during which the endometriosis will not be an issue anyway!). I really didn’t think it was an issue in my case but wanted to get some opinions on it.

I’ll probably talk to a priest about it, but I don’t see the point in abstaining from sexual relations while I’m taking this for legitimate medical purposes… It seems like adding insult to injury if I were ‘forced’ to not be intimate with my husband for a condition I have no natural control over. The only real permanent solution to this problem is a hysterectomy, which I will most likely have in the future after having kids, so until then I think I just need to be ok with using this as a medication to treat a condition.
 
There are some issues that came about with my wife and I that almost drove me to insanity “if it is a Mortal Sin” Try to get a second opinion with a NFP doctor. (Talk to your Diocese) They prescibe vitamens that work better than the birth control pill and if you decide to have a family down the road then no harm done they are just vitamens. God Bless!!!
 
birth control only MASKS the symptoms. Have you considered contacting Pope VI Institute of Omaha, Nebraska? They might be able to help you find an alternative, safer treatment that won’t damage your body, like contraceptive devices can.
 
I’m sure that morally this is fine. I don’t really know what people mean when people say it “masks” the symptoms. Instead, it prevents tissue from growing on body parts where it shouldn’t grow. The “underlying cause” is usually genetic, since this runs in families. She has already tried more natural things that don’t work for her. The actual cure is hysterectomy. At least there is a possibility now that she will be able to have some children.
 
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