What's catholic teaching on cryogenic sperm banking for fertility purposes?

[Elizium23]

Most forms of chemotherapy carry varying risks of infertility. If he has leukemia, this is absolutely necessary and you really should not be trying to encourage him to reconsider the standard and best treatment option for such a serious condition.

Wrongo. The correct answer for a person of faith is to retain a Catholic doctor and contact the NCBC in order to explore all the moral options available to him. There may be novel treatments for leukemia that do not affect fertility. He owes it to himself and his future wife and children to exhaust all those options before deciding to embrace the Culture of Death and place his immortal soul in jeopardy. Some things are more important to Christians than having children at all costs.

You are not a medical doctor, giving medical advice is banned here on the forums, and it is Class-A negligent for you to be pushing the OP on an immoral, unacceptable path of treatment. So please refrain from sticking your nose into matters of faith and medical ethics where you clearly do not understand the ramifications and the options available to people of faith.

 

[thewanderer]

Wrongo. The correct answer for a person of faith is to retain a Catholic doctor and contact the NCBC in order to explore all the moral options available to him. There may be novel treatments for leukemia that do not affect fertility. He owes it to himself and his future wife and children to exhaust all those options before deciding to embrace the Culture of Death and place his immortal soul in jeopardy. Some things are more important to Christians than having children at all costs.

You are not a medical doctor, giving medical advice is banned here on the forums, and it is Class-A negligent for you to be pushing the OP on an immoral, unacceptable path of treatment. So please refrain from sticking your nose into matters of faith and medical ethics where you clearly do not understand the ramifications and the options available to people of faith.

Undergoing needed medical treatment, even though it might cause infertility, is not immoral, unacceptable, or “giving in to the culture of death”. Humans Vitae makes this very clear. It is wrong to try and coerce others into avoiding licit and moral medical treatments they need by claiming said treatments are immoral. There is nothing immoral about receiving chemotherapy for leukemia and to imply otherwise is simply unacceptable.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

Wrongo. The correct answer for a person of faith is to retain a Catholic doctor and contact the NCBC in order to explore all the moral options available to him. There may be novel treatments for leukemia that do not affect fertility. He owes it to himself and his future wife and children to exhaust all those options before deciding to embrace the Culture of Death and place his immortal soul in jeopardy. Some things are more important to Christians than having children at all costs.

You are not a medical doctor, giving medical advice is banned here on the forums, and it is Class-A negligent for you to be pushing the OP on an immoral, unacceptable path of treatment. So please refrain from sticking your nose into matters of faith and medical ethics where you clearly do not understand the ramifications and the options available to people of faith.

Giving medical advice? It’s giving medical advice to chastise someone who is encouraging a cancer patient to reject chemo as though it’s an elective procedure for the sake of his fertility???

And no, there are not “novel forms of chemo” that a catholic doctor would be more likely to order. Most cancers have extremely regimented treatment plans, and each has its own schedule and set of drugs. Most drug regimens that are known as chemotherapy affect fertility because they indiscriminately attack every cell in the body. Particularly delicate tissue can suffer long term or permanent damage, including sperm.

It is not immoral to undergo lifesaving chemo even if an unintended side effect is sterility.

 

[Elizium23]

Undergoing needed medical treatment, even though it might cause infertility, is not immoral, unacceptable, or “giving in to the culture of death”. Humans Vitae makes this very clear. It is wrong to try and coerce others into avoiding licit and moral medical treatments they need by claiming said treatments are immoral. There is nothing immoral about receiving chemotherapy for leukemia and to imply otherwise is simply unacceptable.

You and BEL both misunderstood me. I was not calling chemo immoral or unacceptable. I was describing the masturbation and IVF that was being tossed around by many posters here including BEL. Those are clearly tactics from the Culture of Death’s playbook.

However, the OP may well find it “unacceptable” to undergo chemo after he has consulted a Catholic specialist and the NCBC, having explored all his moral options for cancer treatment. A treatment that does not adversely affect his fertility is a very real possibility. So to a young man with a possible vocation to family life, chemo that leads to sterility is very much an unacceptable avenue in light of other alternatives.

 

[Truth_Faith13]

Can those who are arguing please stop. I don’t think it is fair on the OP…he has had a huge shock and I think what he needs now is prayers to get through his treatment not discussions of IVF which may never happen and is inappropriate to him because he is catholic. I know it’s hard but I have learnt through working in a hospital sometimes on a cancer ward that you HAVE to respect their religious beliefs when giving advice. I don’t know IVF has an impact on children but the point is it doesn’t matter because IVF is not allowed by the church so is not relevant to the OP! If you want to argue for and against please feel free to use my thread where I asked the question on IVF but leave this thread free for solely support, prayers and advice.

A catholic doctor may be a good idea, however all doctors have to respect religious belief…it breaks my heart when JW refuse blood transfusion and we know they are going to die but it is their choice and we respect that as healthcare professionals.

I don’t know how to pray in a catholic way to help people who are sick so I shall say I prayer in a way I do know…(hope that’s ok).

Father in Heaven,
We offer upto you the burdens and trials of this poster who has been given a heavy cross to carry. Please in his time of need, give him the strength and courage to get through the rocky road ahead. We pray that YOUR will will be done and we ask that he is able to find the comfort and refuge he needs from family, friends, these forums but most importantly that he turns to you, Lord. Let Him still see that he will never walk alone because you are beside us every step of the way. “Though we walk through the valley of death…We fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort us”. In the name of your Son, our saviour, redeemer, master and friend…Jesus Christ, Amen

 

[BlueEyedLady]

You and BEL both misunderstood me. I was not calling chemo immoral or unacceptable. I was describing the masturbation and IVF that was being tossed around by many posters here including BEL. Those are clearly tactics from the Culture of Death’s playbook.

However, the OP may well find it “unacceptable” to undergo chemo after he has consulted a Catholic specialist and the NCBC, having explored all his moral options for cancer treatment. A treatment that does not adversely affect his fertility is a very real possibility. So to a young man with a possible vocation to family life, chemo that leads to sterility is very much an unacceptable avenue in light of other alternatives.

Actually, I did not encourage IVF, nor would I. If you remember, I suggested that he bank the sperm (can be done without masturbation), and put it out of his mind. I then said that once he wasn’t fighting for his life he would have a much easier time thinking clearly and evaluating what he really wants. I suspect then that it will be far easier to follow church teaching without all of that added emotional (dis)stress.

Going to a catholic doctor is fine, but for the millionth time, undergoing this treatment is a moral option. He should not get his hopes up that there is an alternative. Blood cancers are hard to treat because they aren’t centralized. Treatment for them is very harsh, and it must be administered throughout the body. Infertility is a very standard side effect, and frankly, when you’re talking about saving a young man’s life, it’s one of the lesser concerns.

 

[gardenswithkids]

… My husband is a cancer survivor… Why not bank the sperm now, then put it out of your mind. Just knowing that the banked sperm is an option will put you at ease…
But right now this is just not an issue you need to stress, worry, or grieve about.

First prayers for the original poster and bel’s husband.
Bel shared an interesting perspective from a non-Catholic wife of a cancer survivor. As a Catholic wife, it would bother me greatly if my husband had banked sperm even if it happened before he knew me. Banking sperm entrusts to total strangers what belongs to his future wife. Mistakes happen. With artificial reproductive, medical mix-ups (which do happen) are taken to a whole different level! Children may be created who were intended to have different fathers. Someone who banked his sperm may have biological children without knowing it. A wife might be given someone else’s sperm. Those type of mix-up don’t happen with the normal marital act. And even if no mix-up happened, artificial reproductive techology does not always produce a live full term baby. After many thousands of dollars, it can still result in empty arms and heartbreak. No, sperm banking (or egg storage) would certainly not put my mind at ease. It would give me more things to worry about!

 

[PhiloMed]

However, the OP may well find it “unacceptable” to undergo chemo after he has consulted a Catholic specialist and the NCBC, having explored all his moral options for cancer treatment. A treatment that does not adversely affect his fertility is a very real possibility. So to a young man with a possible vocation to family life, chemo that leads to sterility is very much an unacceptable avenue in light of other alternatives.

Clearly, you know nothing about leukemia and chemotherapy.

Treatments are, as another poster said, quite regimented and standardized. There is no “Catholic alternative”. If I had cancer I would be more concerned about finding a top-notch physician at a cancer center than asking them which church they go to.

 

[Elizium23]

Well, that is frankly very disappointing to hear. I truthfully know very little about cancer and chemo. The opportunity to learn has thankfully never come close to my life. But we live in exciting technological times, and I frequently hear chatter in the news and from friends that novel treatments exist for certain types of cancer, so I just extrapolated from that and assumed that there is more than one way to skin a cat, if only you explore your options diligently. In that matter I could be wrong, and I apologize if I have offered false hope. And truly I want not so much to argue in this thread but to offer hope. And that is why I have been vigorously promoting the concept of adoption. Because every time God shuts a door, He opens a window, and I see adoption as the open window that could redeem this young man’s life and give him new hope for the future. But what do I know about adoption and loving children?

 

[Truth_Faith13]

How about we all pray that the treatment is successful allowing the OP to live for many more years and that he keeps his fertility? That way adoption, IVF and all the other things associated with infertility won’t even be required (unless he wants to adopt anyhow but that’s another story )

I’m trying to get people to focus on the issues at hand here, the cancer instead of impossibilities which are yet to come! He hasn’t lost his fertility yet and may not, God willing

 

[NSFrame]

Adoption is not a choice. It’s a moral imperative for faithful, pro-life mothers and fathers who have to means to support more children than they can generate by their own means. If the OP intends to be married and have a family then there is a real possibility that the only moral option for him will be adoption. And it’s not a vocation to be dismissed lightly because there are far too few adoptive parents in the world and far too many unwanted children yearning for love and care and a forever home. It’s much more than a “consolation prize”. It’s a noble act of agape love that requires quite a bit more intestinal fortitude than knocking up your lovely wife once or twice. It requires a leap of faith and a step into the unknown, it requires a profound act of bravery to put your heart on the line and choose a child who may not get another chance at a stable family.

Planned Parenthood and the other supporters of the Culture of Death claim to be “pro-choice” and yet they denigrate adoption as an inadequate solution to unwanted pregnancy. They encourage unbridled sexual promiscuity and they increase unwanted pregnancy in the world without promoting the logical answer to mitigate the damage done by this phenomenon. Many pro-life people think they are unable or unwilling to choose adoption, in many cases because the Culture of Death has gotten to them and they believe that two kids is enough and they can’t go any further without giving up their Mercedes or their Prada or their cushy tee time. Any pro-life family worth their salt would be out there adopting kids until there isn’t room for them anymore. Adoption is the gift given to us by God the Father through baptism. We are all adopted children of God. When such an immense gift of grace has been freely bestowed by the Creator of all good things, how can we refuse to pay it forward?

On the contrary, it is very difficult to adopt a child, and there are far more hopeful adoptive parents than children, at least in the US. It is also extremely expensive. All I was saying was that adoption is not a replacement for having biological children, it’s something else altogether.

Also, I never suggested the OP abandon the idea of chemo, just that he weigh the side effects versus the possible outcomes with his doctor given that the side effects may impact him as a Catholic differently than most of his doctor’s patients.

 

[PJM]

=Deltadeliquent;11459212]I say bank 'em.

Not being completely straight with regards to Church’s teaching is worth the joy of having children. Confess once you have a healthy child in your arms and get on with it.

You have a fifty percent chance of not needing them anyway. So save them and if need them, deal with it later.

Not kosher, I know. Not the " right" answer. But you will regret not having the possibility for the rest of your life. It will wreck your life if you want children and can’t.

I will pray that you are one if the lucky 50%.

Your encouraging this man to commit a MORTAL SIN!

WHAT if he should die before he can confess!

You have NO RIGHT to offer this kind of advice on a CATHOLIC FORUM! [or anywhere else for that matter]

 

[thewanderer]

Thank you, but he would not be following church teaching which is why I think your posts encouraging him to bank sperm (among others) are upsetting for people. Any future children would need to be conceived by artificial insemination, not allowed by the church, perhaps you were not aware of that. It seems you are aware that IFV is not allowed but perhaps you were not aware of the church teaching on artificial insemination.

I respect you wanting to share your point of view but in matters of mortal sin where souls are at stake we really need to be very careful. We should not encourage one another on a Catholic website to commit a mortal sin just my two cents.

I believe her point was that once the stress of dealing with his illness was over, he would be in a better place to look at his options and accept the cross and hardships that Church teaching (ie, not using the sperm in the sperm banks) might bring him. The point being right now he already has to deal with an extremely large and distressing cross, it will be easier to accept any future suffering if he waits to look at it until after he has already had his present cross removed. BEL is actually not encouraging the OP to sin.

 

[Truth_Faith13]

I believe her point was that once the stress of dealing with his illness was over, he would be in a better place to look at his options and accept the cross and hardships that Church teaching (ie, not using the sperm in the sperm banks) might bring him. The point being right now he already has to deal with an extremely large and distressing cross, it will be easier to accept any future suffering if he waits to look at it until after he has already had his present cross removed. BEL is actually not encouraging the OP to sin.

Isn’t the harvesting of sperm outside a marital act a sin though? He is single remember.

 

[Elizium23]

Isn’t the harvesting of sperm outside a marital act a sin though? He is single remember.

Microscopic surgery has been suggested. That may be the only possible moral course to take. It also might be extraordinarily expensive.

 

[thewanderer]

Microscopic surgery has been suggested. That may be the only possible moral course to take. It also might be extraordinarily expensive.

yes, that just about sums it up. So, at present the question the OP faces is whether to go this route to attempt sperm banking so that he can worry about the future later, or decide that such a route is too expensive and too burdensome and again attempt to forget about possible future problems and instead just focus on the present.

Again OP, I am so sorry you are having to go through all this, especially at such a young age. I will definitely pray for you and your struggles. God Bless

 

[BlueEyedLady]

By encouraging this poor man to bank his sperm, we are giving him false hopes that he can morally father children one day which I believe is unfair, that is why I was challenging the posts. He is a person with free will and will make his own decisions, but he came here for Catholic advice and wanted to know what the Catholic church teachings are and he deserves to know the truth. He cannot father children in the future using either IVF or artificial insemination with his banked sperm so why are we encouraging him to bank it?

Ever known someone in their 20’s going through chemo?

I suggest it because right now, he is not thinking clearly. That’s to be expected and completely normal. If he wants to be a faithful Catholic he is going to have to give up on the idea of fathering children should be be rendered permanently sterile. That reality will cause him a lot of pain, grief, and he should probably go to counseling for it. But right now, he was just told that he is fighting for his life. By banking sperm he can push the whole inner conflict aside and focus on getting better without dealing with those additional strong emotions. Afterwards, when he is alive and well and moves past this very traumatic experience, he can evaluate where to go from there. My bet is that when he is cancer free and no longer plagued with all of these worries and problems, he will be able to confidently and peacefully come to terms with his sterility (should it exist).

A big part of getting through something like this is learning to deal with only what you must at any given moment, and putting the rest aside for when you are in a much better mental and emotional state.

 

[gardenswithkids]

…A big part of getting through something like this is learning to deal with only what you must at any given moment, and putting the rest aside for when you are in a much better mental and emotional state.

I agree with this last statement–and right now he doesn’t have to deal with infertility. He’s not even married!. Why would his oncologist encouraging him to think about a problem that doesn’t yet exist and that may never exist? Perhaps it is because people see children as hope for the future. Let him get to the future before he worries about having children or not having children.

Right now, he has cancer to deal with. If he comes through cancer treatment alive, then praise God! And if he finds a nice woman and marries her, then praise God again. But with or without a history of cancer, a significant number of married people suffer from infertility–including at least one person on this thread who boldly upheld the Church teachings. But Church teachings aside, the original poster does not need to worry about infertility right now. He does not need to bank his sperm for some problem that may or may not exist in the future. Infertility is not his current problem.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I agree with this last statement–and right now he doesn’t have to deal with infertility. He’s not even married!. Why would his oncologist encouraging him to think about a problem that doesn’t yet exist and that may never exist? Perhaps it is because people see children as hope for the future. Let him get to the future before he worries about having children or not having children.

Right now, he has cancer to deal with. If he comes through cancer treatment alive, then praise God! And if he finds a nice woman and marries her, then praise God again. But with or without a history of cancer, a significant number of married people suffer from infertility–including at least one person on this thread who boldly upheld the Church teachings. But Church teachings aside, the original poster does not need to worry about infertility right now. He does not need to bank his sperm for some problem that may or may not exist in the future. Infertility is not his current problem.

Why would his oncologist encourage him to think about a problem that doesn’t yet exist and may never exist???

Hmmmm…maybe because by the time the problem does exist it will be too late to do anything about it? Kind of like how doctors encourage cancer-free patients to quit smoking even though they don’t currently have cancer and may never.

It isn’t really fair to tell him not to worry about this until he’s married. Statistically speaking, he will probably marry, and he will probably want kids. It is more than reasonable to be concerned about it now, as he’s facing the issue that will cause the sterility.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

Yes, I have known someone in their 20’s that has gone through chemotherapy but I am not sure why you asked that question as I fail to see the relevance. My dear friend lost their life even, but I am not sure how my knowing someone that was sick has any bearing on my telling someone here that artificial insemination is immoral.

You asked why I would suggest that course of action. I suggest it because I have seen firsthand what a 20-something in chemo goes through, and it would take a huge load off of his mind and heart.

Blue Eyed Lady you are on a Catholic website encouraging someone to bank sperm so they can possibly potentially artificially inseminate their future wife. Even though they might not go through with it you believe just knowing they could possibly inseminate their wife will bring them a sense of peace, and they can just put it aside and deal with it later. It doesn’t work that way, maybe in your believe system you think it does, but you are participating in a Christian discussion forum. We are not to draw peace from these kinds of actions because Christ teaches they don’t bring peace.

Well, if the sperm banking can be done without masturbation there is no sin.

I feel very sad for the original poster and have been praying for him. While I did not want to seem cruel to someone facing a life and death crisis I did not want to lie to him either. He came here seeking the truth and I am sure the truth was very painful for him I can only imagine how hard it is to hear it I am very sad for him. To want children is only natural for someone so young, naturally he is hoping for a miracle, but to encourage him in some sort of “loophole” to circumvent Catholic church teaching in the false hope he can bank sperm and save them for legitimate use later is misleading and not fair to him.

You won’t agree with me I can imagine but I believe in this serious kind of life decision he deserves to know the truth not just opinions based on emotions.

I’m sorry that you feel that I’m encouraging him to sin. I do not view it that way and it is not my intention. I am encouraging neither masturbation nor artificial insemination, just a psychological trick to help ease at least some of the stress and worry of a young person going through something that he should never have to.