What is the Church's view of fertility drugs?

[maiseycat]

I have read on this forum that to be married in the Catholic Church, a couple must go into the marriage being open to having children. I have PCOS, and my doctor told me that I will likely require a fertility drug to be able to conceive, either metformin or clomid. He said that I probably can have kids, and I know that I was ovulating when I tried metformin in the past. I just don’t like the side effects that it gives (makes me feel emotionally unsettled, and gives me an increased heart rate, specifically). I’m wary of taking it again. This was also a few years ago. I’m 31 now, and feel that my fertility is declining based on worsening PCOS symptoms I’m experiencing. My doctor said that there is no way of knowing until I get into a sexual relationship again (It has been some time since I have.), and actively try.

What I want to know is how the Church feels about fertility drugs - whether or not it is against the usage of these drugs like it is IVF. My doctor said that I’m likely ovulating part of the time, but this again was a few years that I had this discussion with him. I haven’t talked about it since, since I haven’t been thinking seriously about marriage until now. I doubt that I’m ovulating at all now - there is such a thing as premature ovulation failure that can occur in women - and I’m not sure if fertility drugs would even be effective. I hesitate to try them again. Clomid can only be taken sparingly, anyway, right before trying to conceive, because it carries risks. I’d like to know if there is an exclusion for infertile couples, and if I would qualify in my situation. I’d appreciate any insight on this matter.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The Church does indeed make a distinction between the different types of fertility treatments. Human procreation, to be morally licit, must take place within marital relations. Any treatment or procedure that separates procreation from the marital act is morally illicit. Thus, IVF is morally illicit because it produces conception outside of the marital act.

A succinct summary would be:

• Any procedure which assists marital intercourse in reaching its procreative potential is moral.
• Any procedure which substitutes for marital intercourse for procreation is immoral.

Fertility drugs which attempt to aid normal marital relations to increase the chance of procreation are generally considered licit. However they are in no way required, a couple is not obligated to seek out extraordinary means. Fertility drugs carry risks to both the woman and potential child and those risks should be weighed carefully in coming to a decision of whether or not to use such drugs.

For a valid marriage all that is required is that the couple be open to life. There is no requirement to do everything in one’s power to have a child, nor is there be an obligation to take unwanted risks or extraordinary measures.

God bless.

For further reading:
Begotten Not Made: A Catholic View of Reproductive Technology by John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L.

Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology from the USCCB

Pope Paul VI Institute For the Study of Human Reproduction