Is Birth Control Safe A Woman's Body?

by Bobbi

Your Body Ecology

I read a small pamphlet the other day called "Your Body Ecology". It stated the following:

"Our body ecology is the natural balance of the inner environment of our body and the way it reacts to how we care for it. Just as we can disrupt nature on the planet by one single pollutant, we can disrupt the delicate balance of the inner environment of our bodies. We often fail to realize that the hormonal cycles that control our reproductive system also affect every part of our physical and mental well being. An offense against our reproductive system therefore is a serious offense against our general health."

This statement makes incredible sense, particularly when you see all the damage that artificial contraceptives can do to a woman’s body. This is something that many women (both Christians and non-religious) are beginning to realize. Without talking morals into consideration, they are seeing that birth control is wrecking havoc within their bodies.

Chemical Contraceptives

The main forms of artificial contraception are made up of two types of artificial steroids that mimic the effects of the naturally occurring hormones, estrogen and progesterone. (Some make use of synthetic estrogen and progesterone and others use synthetic progesterone only.) These chemical contraceptives can be taken orally (i.e. the Pill, the mini-Pill), injected (i.e. Depo-Provera), or inserted under one’s skin (i.e. Norplant).

Their effectiveness relies on three mechanisms. Only the first two actually prevent fertilization (the conception of a baby.) The last works as an abortifacient if a baby is conceived. The mechanisms are the following:

Preventing ovulation from occurring.
Changing the cervical mucus to prevent or delay the sperm from entering the uterus.
Preventing the implantation (nidation) of a newly conceived baby onto the lining of the mother’s womb by changing the endometrium (lining). The unborn child is then aborted.

(Note: According to Dr. Bogomir Kuhar, in Infant Homicides Through Contraceptives, it has been estimated by various sources that the third abortifacient mechanism comes into play anywhere form two to ten percent of female cycles per year. These forms of birth control take an estimated 8.1 to 12.75 million newly conceived lives each year.)

These contraceptives work diligently at transforming a woman’s once fertile and baby-nurturing body into hostile ground. The normal womanly functions of ovulation, thinning of the cervical mucus to better aid sperm, and the protection of a newly conceived child within her body has been turned completely upside down. Altering a woman’s fertility so radically comes with a price. There are numerous side effects ranging from the annoying to the deadly.

Because the Pill using hormones to make a woman’s body believe that it is pregnant (that’s why she doesn’t ovulate) she often experiences the same symptoms that a newly pregnant woman would - moodiness, weight gain, water retention, nausea and lowering of the sex drive. Other side effects include headaches, increased PMS symptoms, cramps, eye disturbances, liver tumors, cancers, high blood pressure, circulation disorders and blood clotting, and future temporary and permanent infertility. Side effects for injected and inserted contraceptives are similar.

IUD (Intra-uterine Device)

Unlike the contraceptives mentioned above, the IUD (intra-uterine device) does not prevent conception from taking place. It is an abortificient device inserted into the womb for the sole purpose of creating a hostile environment to the unborn baby trying to implant on the uterine wall. The newly conceived baby is aborted. Thankfully for the most part the IUD has been taken off the market in the US because enough women were harmed from them, including those who lost their lives due to infection caused by their IUD. Side effects from the IUD include pain and cramping, heavy bleeding, cervical infection, cysts on the ovaries and tubes, puncturing of the womb, and sterility.

Barrier Methods

Barrier methods provide a physical or chemical barrier to prevent sperm from reaching the ovum. They include condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, foams, jellies and sponges. Although they may have less risks that other contraceptives, these methods are generally less effective and can cause serious birth defects to a child conceived during their use. Also take into consideration that "women who rely on birth control methods, such as condoms and diaphragms, that prevent semen from reaching the uterus are more that twice as likely to develop one of the more serious complications of pregnancy as their counterparts who have been repeatedly exposed to sperm from the prospective father." (From The Art of Natural Family Planning , by J. & S. Kippley, pg.12.)

Sterilization: Tubal Ligation

There are two kinds of sexual sterilization: tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men.

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure and like all surgeries there are risks involved. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, "Depending on the sterilization technique used, between 800 and 2,000 women per 100,000 can expect major complications…at the time of operation."

In a minilaparotomy a small incision in the abdomen is made and the fallopian tubes, which conduct the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus, are located. The tubes are then drawn outside the body through the incision and a portion of each tubes is removed and the ends are tied. Complications include infections, injury to the bladder, bleeding from a major blood vessel, and burning of the bowel or other structures.

In a laparoscopy the woman’s abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide gas, making a gap between the abdomen and the bowel. A fiber optic light in inserted by puncturing the abdomen wall and an instrument either coagulates the tubes with an electric current or places a band or clip on the tubes. Complications include perforation of the bowel leading to massive infection of the abdominal cavity, improper clearance of the windpipe during operation, and possible pulmonary embolism.

For more statistics and detailed information log onto http://ccli.org/nfp/contraception/tubal.php

Sterilization: Vasectomy

In a vasectomy, a doctor cuts out a portion of both ducts (vas deferens) through which sperm pass through the testes. The doctor then ties or coagulates the ends and sutures the cut made in the scrotum. Although the health risks of a vasectomy still being researched, there is growing alarm that the long-term effects on a man’s immune system can pose serious health problems.

Briefly stated, the concern involves the production in the man's body of anti-sperm auto-antibodies. This means that his body is destroying cells of it's own making, making his body allergic to itself. Some auto-immune diseases associated with this are diabetes mellitus, Addison's disease, multiple sclerosis, some forms of hepatitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. A healthy immune system is a must in our body’s daily fight against the threats of cancer. Thus, if a man's immune system is not in proper working order, there is a greater risk of cancers such as prostrate and testicular, and possibly other forms.

For more statistics and detailed information log onto http://ccli.org/nfp/contraception/vasectomy.php

Resources

For more information about the health dangers of artificial contraception refer to the following sites:

Couple to Couple League http://ccli.org
One More Soul http://www.omsoul.com

Other Birth Control/NFP Articles on RoL

What's Wrong with Birth Control? by Bobbi

What Is NFP? by Bobbi

A Husband's Relection on NFP by Brian

Revolution of Love.com

Menu: