Orthodox stance on birth control?

[-Kyriaki-]

Not as effectively. There are things that help, but they don't fix the problem, especially with the worst ones.

Iron supplements do help, for normal people, but I'm thinking of the worse ones where the person is borderline anaemic to begin with. I've had to have iron shots three times a week before because it was that bad, supplements aren't going to touch that. Thank goodness that's not happened often! A friend of mine has been hospitalised over it before.

I've contemplated going on the pill for this because it is that bad for me - I lose a day curled up in bed every month, minimum, and I'm so deficient in a bunch of things that I barely observe the Wednesday and Friday fasts (as per my sf) let alone the rest.

 

[musicluvr83]

Not as effectively. There are things that help, but they don't fix the problem, especially with the worst ones.

Iron supplements do help, for normal people, but I'm thinking of the worse ones where the person is borderline anaemic to begin with. I've had to have iron shots three times a week before because it was that bad, supplements aren't going to touch that. Thank goodness that's not happened often! A friend of mine has been hospitalised over it before.

I've contemplated going on the pill for this because it is that bad for me - I lose a day curled up in bed every month, minimum, and I'm so deficient in a bunch of things that I barely observe the Wednesday and Friday fasts (as per my sf) let alone the rest.

I know someone like that. While I've had it rough, I've never had it that rough so I'm not gonna say I understand fully 'cause that wouldn't be fair to you (or others in the same predicament). However, I'm thinking this is when it becomes a pastoral issue. As you said too...'per your sf'. Gotta follow doctors orders - health is important.

 

[Coralie]

^ yeah generally girls with endometriosis are put on the pill too, to ease the [extreme] pain of menstruation and to reduce anaemia. Surgery is usually the best solution but you can't operate on a 14 or even an 18 year old because she hasn't stopped growing, etc.

It really is a pastoral issue. I always get jumpy around threads like these because I don't want a "lurker" to feel condemned by the statements we make. There are no blanket statements -- every person is different.

 

[Dorothea]

What about debilitating monthly cramps? I know people who are violently ill, have to take time off work, become anaemic etc etc every month and the pill helps with that dramatically. It's often prescribed for teenagers who aren't sexually active because of that reason alone.

IMO, if one has a medical problem, the pill helps alleviate it, then I would think it was ok. It's not about having sex and all, but helping one's menstrual problems. I was on the pill for about 6 years early on in my 20s (of course, all of this was before I knew what the Church taught on this, nor did I go to Church until I was around 25), to help heavy flows that caused much trouble (where school work days were missed and such). I got off of it when I was 25 and dealing with my newly-diagnosed hypoglycemia (at the time...still have that of course).

I can also understand what cobweb said about special needs children and all. of course at that time, we still didn't know the church's stance on birth control methods because we didn't talk to a priest on a regular basis due to the fact that we were busy with medical issues w/our second son. For some reason, that topic never came up. We never thought about it back then.

 

[katherine2001]

Kyriaki, whether women should be on the pill for some medical conditions is definitely a pastoral question that should be discussed with your priest.

 

[Damaris]

I would have trouble if I was a priest allowing birth control pills to be used in cases of acne. Blood disorders I could understand, but a person can live with acne.

Acne is not always a few little zits here and there. It leaves permanent scars and can cause horrible facial disfigurement. In women whose acne is influenced by their hormones, birth control pills can help prevent breakouts and keep those scars from forming.