Sterilization for health reasons

[godisgood77]

I am married to a Catholic man, and attend Mass with him and my two children on a regular basis. I have only felt at home in this Church.

My question I have one step son, and my biological daughter. Following the birth of my daughter, I suffered from postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. I became very suicidal, and I had full intentions of it for about a year and a half. I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It has taken 2 1/2 years to find the right medication balance, and we are still having to tweak it. These medscould have complucated another pregnancy, and I don’t believe I would have lived following another baby. I had a tubal lugation, and then complications from that forced me to have another surgery to fix it and it unfortunatly has voided any chances of further pregnancy.

Am I right that this was a mortal sin, or would this be acceptable procedure to preseve my life for my family? I don’t believe I would live through another one. My husband was not sure of this either.

Hello - I would consult with a priest…a good priest, but I would be very surprised if he tells you that this was a sinful act. Your health concerns, for both you and your family, outweigh any concerns about the procreative nature of the marital embrace.

Do not carry guilt because of your action. My prayers are with you.

 

[EasterJoy]

Sterilization and contraception are NEVER permissible. The church offers two options: NFP and/or abstinence.

Treatments for medical conditions that affect fertility as an unintended side effect can be permissible. Since this woman was not seeking to avoid a child, but rather seeking to avoid a compulsion to commit suicide that would reasonably go with the belief that she is pregnant or from the hormonal changes of pregnancy, that is different from a direct desire to avoid conception. If hers is an extreme case it might be permissible to remove a body part, even a part of the reproductive system, if it is the immediate cause of a strong compulsion to commit suicide.

I’m not saying that this is her case, only that the necessity of preventing suicide is serious enough that the side effect of destroying fertility could be tolerated if no other effective treatment could be found. Suicide can be a choice of the will, yes, but suicide risk can also be a physical problem that requires a physical treatment.

The compulsion would have to be quite serious, however, like the case of removing a reproductive organ that had been shown in a screening test to present a high risk of cancer. Still, it is conceivable that a Catholic physician could morally perform such a surgery.