Zika virus and contraception

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Several governments in South America are recommending that women avoid pregnancy, due to the spread of the Zika virus, which can cause severe birth defects when a pregnant woman is infected. Here’s the news report.

The problem is that a large percentage of the population is Roman Catholic, and of course contraception is against Catholic teaching. They could avoid pregnancy by abstaining from sex or by using NFP (strictly). But many Catholics do not follow Church teaching on contraception. So this recommendation (to avoid pregnancy) implicitly suggests the use of contraception to Catholics.

It is a difficult issue for the Church. But since contraception is intrinsically evil, it cannot be justified by the good intention to avoid harm to the prenatal, nor by the difficult circumstance of the spread of this virus.
 
Ron_Conte said:
Several governments in South America are recommending that women avoid pregnancy, due to the spread of the Zika virus, which can cause severe birth defects when a pregnant woman is infected. Here’s the news report.

The problem is that a large percentage of the population is Roman Catholic, and of course contraception is against Catholic teaching. They could avoid pregnancy by abstaining from sex or by using NFP (strictly). But many Catholics do not follow Church teaching on contraception. So this recommendation (to avoid pregnancy) implicitly suggests the use of contraception to Catholics.

It is a difficult issue for the Church. But since contraception is intrinsically evil, it cannot be justified by the good intention to avoid harm to the prenatal, nor by the difficult circumstance of the spread of this virus.
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The use of contraception and abortion will spike in these areas and Catholics will be part of that spike.
 
I may be accused of heresy for this idea, but it is one I truly believe.

It is parents responsibility to care about the well-being of their children. If there is a high risk of a child being permanently damaged by the Zika virus, than they are under a duty to try and not procreate until this thing is reasonably under control. A duty of care so to speak.

And whether that end is accomplished by abstinence or contraceptive sex, I think either one is fine personally, as long as the end is achievd.blush: I am not speaking for the church at all, but I really can’t blame don’t think ill of couples who use contraceptive sex in this situation. I just don’t believe its wrong.

It’s really not my business to think about it anyway…😊
 
Commentators have already noted that in many countries where Zika is spreading, many young women will not have the choice of abstinence - they will simply not be in the kind of relationships where that would be “allowed”. The majority of pregnancies in this world are not planned in any way.

If a couple has an equal-partner marriage and can sit down and make a conscious choice to abstain, then that’s fine. But I agree with the comments I’ve read that many, many women will not be in that position.
 
Isca said:
Commentators have already noted that in many countries where Zika is spreading, many young women will not have the choice of abstinence - they will simply not be in the kind of relationships where that would be “allowed”. The majority of pregnancies in this world are not planned in any way.

If a couple has an equal-partner marriage and can sit down and make a conscious choice to abstain, then that’s fine. But I agree with the comments I’ve read that many, many women will not be in that position.
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How disturbing!:eek:😦
 
Isca said:
Commentators have already noted that in many countries where Zika is spreading, many young women will not have the choice of abstinence - they will simply not be in the kind of relationships where that would be “allowed”. The majority of pregnancies in this world are not planned in any way.

If a couple has an equal-partner marriage and can sit down and make a conscious choice to abstain, then that’s fine. But I agree with the comments I’ve read that many, many women will not be in that position.
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Yes indeed! What a scary virus this is and from what I’ve read in the last several days, we are at least a year away from the development of protocols to stop the virus in the mosquitos. I cannot imagine that any woman would want to risk having a child that would be sick or have the worst, most horrendous defect such as being born with only a brain stem. Sometimes modern medicine is an awesome gift. In this case, women should feel free to use reliable contraception without others trying to judge their actions. My daughter and her boyfriend are attending a wedding in Cancun next month. He is busily researching the best mosquito repellent. Luckily, dear daughter has the Merina device implanted because of Stage 4 Endometriosis so she is not worried about becoming pregnant. I’m praying that the USDA and other organizations, worldwide, work together to quickly find an answer to this awful virus.
 
kozlosap said:
Yes indeed! What a scary virus this is and from what I’ve read in the last several days, we are at least a year away from the development of protocols to stop the virus in the mosquitos. I cannot imagine that any woman would want to risk having a child that would be sick or have the worst, most horrendous defect such as being born with only a brain stem. Sometimes modern medicine is an awesome gift. In this case, women should feel free to use reliable contraception without others trying to judge their actions. My daughter and her boyfriend are attending a wedding in Cancun next month. He is busily researching the best mosquito repellent. Luckily, dear daughter has the Merina device implanted because of Stage 4 Endometriosis so she is not worried about becoming pregnant. I’m praying that the USDA and other organizations, worldwide, work together to quickly find an answer to this awful virus.
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Women should not feel free to contracept. How can you say that as a Catholic?
 
Thank you, Deacon, for your clarity.

Have clergy ever discussed about what to do in situations such as what is being described here, where there is serious reason to avoid pregnancy, yet males in the culture refuse to accept abstinence?

I find this incredibly sad and I wonder what sort of pastoral counsel will be given to a woman in such a situation, and what outreach there might be at the level of the parish or diocese.

Thank you for your time.
 
jmjZelie said:
Thank you, Deacon, for your clarity.

Have clergy ever discussed about what to do in situations such as what is being described here, where there is serious reason to avoid pregnancy, yet males in the culture refuse to accept abstinence?

I find this incredibly sad and I wonder what sort of pastoral counsel will be given to a woman in such a situation, and what outreach there might be at the level of the parish or diocese.

Thank you for your time.
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I’d also like to know what practical assistance is going to be offered to help care for all these “blessings” who will be born microcephalic.
 
No, not the bishops. The **governments **of those nations are implying that women should use contraception.
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
Women should not feel free to contracept. How can you say that as a Catholic?
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This is a major public health issue whose effects are devastating to infants. United Airlines is giving full refunds for those afraid of traveling to South America and the Caribbean which is a huge indicator concerning this killer virus. Women must decide themselves and with their partners what protection they will use, or if they will use protection at all. I would think that this situation would be hard even for traditionalists.🤷
 
I am not a Catholic who is strong in my faith really, and I would love a “True Catholic” to answer my stance on this/ correct me.

This seems like a no-brainer to me. I get that the Church teaches that contraceptive sex is a sin, but it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.

Couples should do what they can to prevent conception in this circumstance including in my mind by using condoms etc, so they don’t end up conceiving a child and having it’s life be wrecked b Zika. Not to take such precautions seems a bit selfish to me.

Part of me almost things the Salvadorian govenrment should carpet the country in aerially dropped condoms:rolleyes:

Please tell me why I am wrong, from a Catholic standpoint, and from a moral standpoint.
 
I get why you say that and why the Church teaches that. It just makes me realize I can never be a true Catholic :(.

I more had in mind condoms, which don’t destroy the egg. I suppose you know why I believe why I believe? I just feel (God aside) the harm done from sex with condoms is immaterial compared to a child born with Zika related complications, complications which could have been avoided by either abstience or condom sex.

Given that many Salvadorans are poor and unable to give adequate help for such a child… strikes me as unfortunate.

You realize God doesn’t factor into this for me? Just cost/benefit analysis, consideration of what helps/hurts people?

At least I don’t claim this is the Catholic position, just makes me think secular humanism is probably the way to go after all:blush:
 
HabemusFrancis said:
Couples should do what they can to prevent conception in this circumstance including in my mind by using condoms etc, so they don’t end up conceiving a child and having it’s life be wrecked b Zika. Not to take such precautions seems a bit selfish to me.
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I am fine with your first statement if you remove the part about “including in my mind by using condoms etc”. It is morally just to abstain until the threat is past. Artificial birth control is always and everywhere gravely immoral. There are no special cases, just as there are no special cases for murder or any other action that is contrary to divine law.

No, the selfishness is to put carnal desire before all else. We do not have a right to sexual union and to corrupt it when there is a threat to the life of an unborn child.

It is never acceptable to commit evil to prevent a potential bad consequence.
 
God does not no. Present and future lives are all Im thinking about in regards to this.

It is what it is I suppose.
 
I fell the same way reading many comments. It saddens me that duty to God has been kicked to the curb in preference to duty to self first and foremost.

I think I’ll head to adoration at lunch time.
 
Usige said:
I fell the same way reading many comments. It saddens me that duty to God has been kicked to the curb in preference to duty to self first and foremost.

I think I’ll head to adoration at lunch time.
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Replace “self” to other people. Since I don’t live in South America and am not a woman, it’s about other people and not me.

I hope adoration helps you.
 
Is it gravely immoral for the emergency contraceptive pill to be taken after a rape if conception has not yet occurred?

Is it gravely immoral for victims of rape to attempt coitus interruptus?
 
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