The pill used for non-contraceptive purposes?

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Nal

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Hi everyone.

My dr wants to put me on a form of birth control called a nuva ring which is basically like the pill. I am having terrible hormonal and female issues and he feels that this would really help to alleviate things for me-I am a mess!!!

Is it ever ok to use bc when it is not for contraceptive purposes? My hubby and I are both Catholic and we have 3 great kids. If more came into our life, great. Im stumped and don’t know what to do. I want to feel better again, but still. Thanks a bunch.

Nancy
 
In general, yes, it is OK to use such medications to solve medical problems like hormonal imbalances and such. Since contraception is an unintended side effect it is morally permissable.

But whenever possible you don’t want to do something that results in an egg being fertilized but not able to implant.

I don’t know enough about the nuva ring in particular to say whether it is a good choice. Isn’t that one of the continuous release types?

I’m sure someone here can give you a better medical opinion.
 
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Nal:
Hi everyone.

My dr wants to put me on a form of birth control called a nuva ring which is basically like the pill. I am having terrible hormonal and female issues and he feels that this would really help to alleviate things for me-I am a mess!!!

Is it ever ok to use bc when it is not for contraceptive purposes? My hubby and I are both Catholic and we have 3 great kids. If more came into our life, great. Im stumped and don’t know what to do. I want to feel better again, but still. Thanks a bunch.

Nancy
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Medicine that is not purposely contraceptive is allowed if its side effect is sterility. This is under the Principle of Double Effect.

I suggest you contact the Pope Paul VI institute for some alternatives. www.popepaulvi.com to get contact info. They are infertility specialists, but they also have done much research in treating women’s health issues.

The hormones in contraceptives don’t treat anything. They might supress the symptoms but they will not cure you. If you get off the hormones-- you are right back where you started. Also, these hormonal pills/patches/rings/etc can have far-reaching health problems far beyond what you bargain for-- blod clots, strokes, cancer, infertility, and more (death).

You need to see a specialist who will get to the bottom of your hormonal problems-- an endocrynologist, a different OB/GYN, etc.

Also, the hormones in the pills/patch/ring do not in all cases inhibit ovulation-- they can inhibit implantation, which is in essence a chemical abortion of an already conceived child. You cannot use NFP while using hormones.

This is a serious thing and must be weighed heavily-- as the abortifacient aspect of the pill does seem to fail a portion of the criteria for the Principle of Double Effect whereas a purely sterilizing effect would not.
 
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1ke:
This is a serious thing and must be weighed heavily-- as the abortifacient aspect of the pill does seem to fail a portion of the criteria for the Principle of Double Effect whereas a purely sterilizing effect would not.
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As a note, not all pills are abortifacient, but, if they ARE, they certainly are to be rejected without question.

I don’t know much about this nuva ring though, sorry
 
Fred?:
As a note, not all pills are abortifacient, but, if they ARE, they certainly are to be rejected without question.

I don’t know much about this nuva ring though, sorry
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Sorry - all b.c. pills are abortifacient. Many doctors do not believe them - they have blinded themselves to the facts, and the facts are stated on the inserts that accompany the box!
 
I believe it is allowable, but only if you abstain from sex. There have been many threads on this subject. You can do a search to find those.

One thing I would do is to see if there are other alternative treatments. You may have to go to another doctor to find them.

PF
 
I was put on the pill for medical reasons. I was concerned as well so I went to my pastor and talked with him about it and he said if I was using it for non-contraceptive purposes that is fine. He also said I did not have to abstain, so take that for what it is worth…maybe go visit your pastor and ask him…
 
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BlestOne:
I was put on the pill for medical reasons. I was concerned as well so I went to my pastor and talked with him about it and he said if I was using it for non-contraceptive purposes that is fine. He also said I did not have to abstain, so take that for what it is worth…maybe go visit your pastor and ask him…
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Many pastors (not just pastors, many people in general) are unaware of the abortifacient action of the pill.

Many only understand it to be a sterilizing agent, which of course is not problematic within the context of Double Effect when taken for a medical purpose.

So, it would be important when discussing with any spiritual director or pastor to point out all aspects of these hormone’s functionings.

Abortifacient effect is not the same as sterilizing effect.
 
Thanks for the replys. I may put it off and not do it. I just wish something else could help me. I cant take antidepressants either. Ill look at the links you all provided as well.

Nancy
 
There is an alternative to the medical treatments taught through modern secular schools that have been overly influenced by pharmaceutical companies pushing hormones and contraceptives. It is called NaProTECHNOLOGY (just click on the link to it in the left hand sidebar). It’s not some fly-by-night “miracle cure” nonsense, but real, accurate and reliable medical treatment. I’d look into it before getting any contraceptives. 😉
 
Hi Nancy,

I would also encourage you to contact the Pope Paul VI Institute.

As for if using hormonal contraceptives and abstaining, it seems opinons/beliefs vary. Here a couple of links from the AAA forum:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=15756&highlight=oral+contraceptives

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=4618

I just want to repeat Joan’s statement that ALL hormonal contraceptives (pills, patch, shot, vaginal ring) have three ways of preventing pregnancy and preventing implantation is one of mechanism of action.

Autumn
 
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1ke:
Many pastors (not just pastors, many people in general) are unaware of the abortifacient action of the pill.

Many only understand it to be a sterilizing agent, which of course is not problematic within the context of Double Effect when taken for a medical purpose.

So, it would be important when discussing with any spiritual director or pastor to point out all aspects of these hormone’s functionings.

Abortifacient effect is not the same as sterilizing effect.
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Whether to abstain or not when legitimately using a pill that has an abortifacient effect is not a clearly determined issue. It is still quite “up in the air.” There are good theologians on both sides of this specific issue. Many on this board have made the case (quite well) that one is obligated to abstain when using such a medication. Others, including Fr. Vincent Serpa on the Catholic Answers AAA forum ( forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=4618 ) have stated that one does not have to abstain even if there is a possibility of an abortifacient side effect.

So, it would seem if the medicine could act as an abortifacient, you should consult your spiritual advisor, pray and make the best prudential judgement possible.
 
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astegallrnc:
Hi Nancy,

I would also encourage you to contact the Pope Paul VI Institute.

As for if using hormonal contraceptives and abstaining, it seems opinons/beliefs vary. Here a couple of links from the AAA forum:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=15756&highlight=oral+contraceptives

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=4618

I just want to repeat Joan’s statement that ALL hormonal contraceptives (pills, patch, shot, vaginal ring) have three ways of preventing pregnancy and preventing implantation is one of mechanism of action.

Autumn
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I forgto to add that the NaProTECHNOLOGY I referred to is a part of the outreach of the Pope Paul VI Institute. 👍
 
To Nancy: I was in your shoes.

As I had to, you will probably have to seek out alternative forms of help on your own. The advice from 1ke, Autumn and Della is top notch! I used the Sympto-Thermal method of NFP and the book, Fertility, Cycles, and Nutrition. by Marilyn Shannon.

Many doctors currently have no clue what is actually wrong with women! (Autumn you’ll love this.) I went for my annual appointment last month and I explained that I was having trouble with short cycles because of inadaquate luteal phases. My doctor and his nurse said, “Oh, you must not be ovulating.” I had to explain that I was having a full thermal shift and was in fact ovulating. They asked why I knew that, “are you using a fertility predictor?..Are you trying to have a baby now?..” They know I am using NFP but have said, “NFP doesn’t work.”

I have explained that I am in the process of using vitamin B6 each month to get a good luteal cycle and each month have lengthened it by another day. They said I was, “wasting my time.” They are nice people and have not tried to force the pill and other things on me so I stick with them. Ah, but they have so much to learn…

To Nancy…if any or all of this sounded like gibberish, please seek out the resourses suggested. Your female body is your best friend. It is a beautiful creation of God. Please don’t go on those horrible artificial hormones. You and good doctors can fix this! I’ll be praying for you! Please feel free to PM me for moral support.

If you never go on the stuff in the first place the moral conundrum isn’t an issue. I have an opinion, mind you it is only an opinion since I am not in the medical field, that nothing good has come from hormonal contraception for women. Taking away pain doesn’t fix the problem. Fix the source not the symptom. Since having these female troubles I became an “expert” in a field I never intended to enter!

May God bless you and all the other women in our situation.
 
Hi, Nancy. My mom put me on The Pill when I was 15 years old because ever since I had gotten my first period at 14 years old, my menstrual cycle took up 3/4 of every month… as did hers. And she didn’t want me to go through that, especially because she had gotten so critically anemic due to so much flow that she had to have a total and complete hysterictomy by the time she was 35.

Anyhow… there was not any “danger” of my using The Pill as a birth control method. All that it was doing was keeping my cycle to more of a “normal” one… 10 days on, 4 or 5 days of, then 2 or 3 days… and not 3 weeks straight out of every 4 weeks.

However, that doesn’t disguise that fact that if there had been a semen cell that had entered one of my ova cells… and The Pill was doing what it does… which is MAKE you have your period, and thereby flushing the new person, zygote that he or she was, out with the menstrual stream.

I was ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED and DISMAYED 10 years later when I learned that any birth control pill IS an “arbortifacient.” Yes, I went to Confession and was absolved over that… as well as the fornication I was committing… with a firm resolve to sin no more.

So, for whatever it’s worth… why not you call the local Catholic Charities office and ask them for reference for medical care for the condition that you have, so that you won’t have to follow YOUR doctor’s orders if it’s not totally necessary? Maybe they know of a Catholic doctor in town who totally understands your concerns and real need to follow Christ in all this.

catholiccharitiesusa.org/

Just a thought…
 
You’ve gotten sound advice so far. I would just reiterate that many doctors are much, much too quick to use bcp to help with female problems. That is frustrating and concerning because it’s not really addressing the problem. Contacting the Pope Paul VI Institute would be a good idea, as would getting with a Creighton instructor. They can often tell a lot about different deficiencies just by looking at your chart.

I had some serious problems as well and found the bcp came with side effects that just weren’t worth it. I got some different opinions and finally ended up getting some help seeing one of the certified nurse midwives (CNM) in my ob/gyn’s practice. Since they are trained to be the least invasive possible, she was willing to work with me to find an alternative to taking the pill. There may be other options out there your doctor isn’t aware of so it might be worth seeking another opinion.
 
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Nal:
Thanks for the replys. I may put it off and not do it. I just wish something else could help me. I cant take antidepressants either. Ill look at the links you all provided as well.

Nancy
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May I ask why you can’t take antidepressants? There are so may different kinds of antidepressants that you can find one that does not cause a raise in blood pressure or seizures.
 
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