Birth Control and Contraception

Key Idea: God is the only being who can create life but some Christians believe that they should have a choice in when to "try" for a baby.

If a couple have regular unprotected sex there is a strong chance that the woman will get pregnant. Using a method to reduce the chance of pregnancy is called contraception. Sex is not seen as a sin in Christianity, but its place is seen within the loving relationship of marriage, and for many Christians as part of the procreative process. The Roman Catholic church states that:

"The sexual act should reflect the total self-giving of two couples in love, through marriage. Likewise it should express the quality and the potential of the relationship as open, loving and life-giving."

For many years in the church the primary purpose of sex was for procreation:

"So God created Human beings and said ......Have many children" [Genesis 1:26-27]

Pleasure was a secondary process. Many people have argued that if couples did not want to have children then they should not have sex at all. This is the official teaching of both the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox churches. In 1930 Pope Pius XI said contraception was wrong in the following statement:

"any use whatsoever of any method that stops the natural power of sex to generate life is forbidden"

Why is contraception used?

• a married couple may not wish to have children
• a family may decide that is large enough for emotional, psychological or financial reasons
• it helps people to plan their future and the approximate ages of their children
• it allows married couples to have sex without worrying about pregnancy
• it helps to control the population
• it allows couples who are not married to avoid unwanted pregnancy

Methods of contraception

1. 'Natural' methods

• The rhythm method. For a few days of the menstrual cycle a woman is not fertile so a couple can have sex during those days. However keeping track of the "safe period" is very tricky so this method is not reliable.
• The withdrawal method. The man removes his penis from the woman just before ejaculation (coming). This is very unsafe since sperm is often released during sex.

2. 'Unnatural' or artificial methods

• The pill. This alters the balance of hormones in the woman's body. The long term effects of taking the pill are not known. It must be taken regularly and forgetting to take the pill can make having sex unsafe for 28 days. If used properly it's 99% safe, the safest method.
• A barrier method. There are two of these. The woman may use a diaphragm or the man a condom. This is a rubber barrier that stops the sperm from entering the womb (diaphragm) or the vagina (condom). These are fairly safe but there is a danger of them breaking and so failing.
• The IUD. (An inter-uterine device). This is a small coil or wire, with a piece copper attached. It is placed inside the woman's womb and is believed to work by preventing the egg from attaching itself to the uterus wall. It is fairly safe but can cause heavy periods or cramps.

Views on contraception

Humanists: Sex is one of the greatest of human pleasures and not just a method of reproduction. If contraception helps a couple to enjoy sex then it is a good thing.

Roman Catholic: The main purpose of sex is to have children. Sex is wrong unless there is the intention of having children, or at least the possibility. Any form of artificial contraception was formally forbidden by the Pope in 1968.

Protestant: The welfare of the whole family is important. If having more children would risk the health of the family then contraception is permissible if agreed by both partners.