What’s wrong with contraception?

A lot, actually — here are 8 reasons that contraception should be avoided:

  1. Contraception kills babies. Oral contraceptives that contain synthetic estrogen and progestins change the endometrium, preventing implantation of the embryo, according to the Physician’s Desk Reference. So this in effect kills a new human being.
  2. Contraception decreases chances of ever getting pregnant. Many woman use contraception to prevent getting pregnant at one time in their life, while hoping to eventually get pregnant later.
  3. Contraception causes cancer. The World Health Organization lists the pill (estrogen/progestin) as a Group I cancer causing agent.   To put that in perspective, other Group I carcinogens include benzene, herbicides, asbestos, mustard gas and formaldehyde.
  4. Contraception causes depression and reduced sexual function.  Women who use hormonal contraception report higher rates of depression and reduced sexual functioning.
  5. Contraception has unhealthy side effects. Contraceptives are powerful steroids and have a tremendous impact on the human body. The long list of unpleasant and unhealthy side effects include headaches to more serious ones like severe depression and even death. Among the masculinizing effects are: decrease in good cholesterol (HDL), weight gain, acne, hair growth in unwanted places, decreased libido.  Hormones also affect emotional processing, social interactions, facial recognition, self-control, eating behavior, and language processing.  Hormones also affect the immune system, the stress response, and gut hormones.
  6. Contraception increases likelihood of divorce. Research shows that 45% of divorces can be attributed to the use of contraceptives. READ MORE
  7. Contraception is against Catholic teaching. John Paul’s catechesis on the body demonstrates the ultimate theological reason for the immorality of contraception: it is fundamentally sacrilegious.  It profanes the “great mystery”-the “great sacrament”-by falsifying the sign. As the Pope says by virtue of their sacrament, spouses have a divine mission “fundamental for all humanity” to witness to Love and to Life” But if marital love is falsified, communion is broken, the mission destroyed. In addition, John Paul says that the contraceptive practice and mentality cause “enormous harm from the point of view of the inner culture of the human person (TOB 132:2).  Whether they know this or not, by using contraception spouses are cutting themselves off from the very source of married love.”  -– West, Christopher, Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II’s Man and Woman He Created Them.
  8. Contraception is against God’s intended purpose for your life. God gave us the gift of sex to allow us to participate in creation. Its purpose is not only for union between husband and wife, but also designed for bringing forth new human life. When they contracept, couples slam the door in God’s face, saying “We want the physical pleasure of sex, but we want control, we want to leave you out of it.” In a sacramental marriage, NFP is not intended to be used to prevent all pregnancy but as a way to aid couples in becoming pregnant, and also as a natural, God-given way to avoid it when there are grave reasons to do so.

"NFP is different than other forms of contraception because we work within God’s natural law not against it. Ultimately, it’s the one area of life where we work in conjunction with God. Isn’t it amazing that God made our bodies the way He did!"

~ Renee & Kerry McGuire

Dr. Janet Smith's talk on contraception