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Birth Control and Contraception

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'''''Contraception''''' is the term used to describe an intentional prevention of the conception of a child. This term may also be used to describe the intentional prevention of pregnancy, which may be defined differently from conception.
 
==Synopsis==
Opinions about contraception have varied in the Orthodox Church. There is complete unanimity that no form of contraception that is abortifacient is acceptable and there are definitive ecumenical canons that proscribe abortifacients. The Fathers of the Church, such as Ss. Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom, Epiphanios, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Caesarious, Gregory the Great, Augustine of Canterbury and Maximos the Confessor, all explicitely condemned abortion as well as the use of abortifacients. However there are a range of opinions on the issue of non-abortifacient contraception.
 
:1) There are those who hold the view that sex should only be for the purpose of procreation, and so even natural family planning would be prohibited.
 
:2)There are those who argue that natural family planning is acceptable, because it simply involves abstinence from sex during times when fertility is likely.
 
:3)There are those who teach that non-abortifacient contraception is acceptable if it is used with the blessing of one's spiritual father, and if it is not used simply to avoid having children for purely selfish reasons. [http://www.oca.org/DOCmarriage.asp?ID=19 The statement on marriage and family from the 10th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America] follows along these lines, as does [http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/3/14.aspx "The Bases of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church," section XII. 3], which was approved by the 2000 Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
 
While some local churches have issued official statements on this issue, it is not an issue that has been clearly defined by the entire Church.
 
Vocal opponents to the prevailing view of contraception in Orthodoxy today include [incomplete]:
Bp. [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk|Hilarion of Vienna]] [ROC], Bp. Artemije of Kosovo [SOC], Fr. Josiah Trenham, Fr. [[Patrick Henry Reardon|Patrick Reardon]], Fr. John Schroedel, Fr. John A. Peck and Fr. Patrick Danielson.
 
==Methods==
 
Methods of family planning can be broken down into five categories: Natural Family Planning, withdrawal, barrier contraceptives, hormonal contraceptives, and sterilization. A distinction is implicit here between ''birth control'' or ''family planning'' and ''contraception''. Whereas the former terms may include all five categories, "contraception" is usually reserved for those methods which more directly inhibit or act against conception.
 
===Natural Family Planning===
Even many people who accept the "new consensus" position as outlines above think that Natural Family Planning (NFP) is superior to contraception. It is often said that the dynamics of NFP (similar to the fasts of the Church) serve as a kind of catechesis for marital sexuality, emphasizing the need for self-control and honoring God-given fertility while at the same time recognizing the need for intimacy and allowing for a responsible family planning. NFP is also useful for couples having difficulty conceiving. Additionally, because of the awareness of the woman's cycle that it brings it can also help a woman spot health risks manifested through irregularities in the cycle.
 
Modern methods of Natural Family Planning differ greatly from the old "rhythm" method, which worked by marking days on a calendar and required a regular cycle length to be effective. NFP can be used by women with irregular cycles, as well as by women who are breastfeeding or pre-menopausal. With proper use, NFP is as effective as the Pill.
 
===Withdrawal===
Besides being ineffective, methods of withdrawal have traditionally been opposed by the Church as over-indulgence of the flesh.
 
===Barrier Contraceptives===
<!-- Types. Statistics. Opinions. -->
 
===Intrauterine devices (IUD)===
The presence of a device in the uterus prompts the release of substances hostile to both sperm and eggs; the presence of copper increases this spermicidal effect. However, the same effect is believed to harm developing embryos. While the primary mechanism of the IUD is spermicidal/ovicidal, post-fertilization mechanisms are believed to contribute significantly to their effectiveness. Because Christians define fertilization as the beginning of life, this secondary effect is considered by them as early [[abortion]].
 
===Hormonal Contraceptives===
* [http://www.cbhd.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=21677&cat=&page= The Pill: Addressing the Scientific and Ethical Questions of the Abortifacient Issue] - A collection of recent scholarly articles and statements edited by Linda Bevington and Russell DiSilvestro [Links to ordering info and a description of the booklet]
<!--* [http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=4Q5WONWSEUDMWCRBAELCFFA?type=healthNews&storyID=2510169 Study: Pill Use May Raise Cervical Cancer Risk] --->
* [http://www.epm.org/bcp.html Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?] - A very helpful and easy to read booklet by Randy Alcorn. The full version is online in various formats, and there is a minimal charge for a print copy.
* [http://www.epm.org/articles/pilldebate2.html The Growing Debate about the Abortifacient Effect of the Birth Control Pill and the Principle of the Double Effect] - by Dr. Walt L. Larimore
* [http://archfami.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/9/2/126?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=postfertilization&searchid=1052273133039_87&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=archfami Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent] - Article by Dr. Walter L. Larimore
* PBS aired a documentary a little while ago on "The Pill." Their [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill extensive website] contains video interviews, social history and documentary, a contraception timeline, a flash presentation of how the Pill works, internet links, and many other resources. A transcript of the television show is also available online.
* [http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=15052 Government Lists All Estrogens Used in Oral Contraceptives, Hormone Replacement Therapy as 'Known Human Carcinogens']
* [http://www.pilltruth.com/ Pilltruth.com] - More information about hormonal contraceptives
 
===Sterilization===
 
==Bibliography==
*[[H. Tristram Engelhardt|Engelhardt, H. Tristram]], Jr. ''Foundations of Christian Bioethics''. Swets & Zeitlinger, 2000. See especially Chapter Five.
*Evdokimov, Paul. ''The Sacrament of Love: The Nuptial Mystery in the Light of the Orthodox Tradition''. Crestwood: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1985. See especially pp. 174-180.
*[[John Meyendorff|Meyendorff, John]]. ''Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective'', second expanded edition. Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1975. See especially Chapter Thirteen.
*Sherrard, Philip. "Humanae Vitae: Notes on the Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI," in ''Sobornost'' 5:8 (1969).
*Zaphiris, Chrysostomos. "The Morality of Contraception: An Eastern Orthodox Opinion," in ''The Journal of Ecumenical Studies'' 11:4 (1974). ''Note:'' http://jonathanscorner.com/writing/contraception/ provides a commentary on Zaphiris 1974 and an "opposing views" piece to the "new concensus".
*Zion, William Basil. ''Eros and Transformation: Sexuality and Marriage: An Eastern Orthodox Perspective''. Lanham: University Press of America, 1992. Chapter Seven is entitled "Orthodoxy and Contraception."
 
==See also==
*[[Abortion]]
*[[Marriage]]
 
==External links==
 
 
 
===Organizations===
*[http://www.orthodoxnfp.org The Orthodox Natural Family Planning Association]
<!-- *[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodoxnfp/ Orthodox NFP Discussion List] - A discussion group for those working to implement NFP in an Orthodox context --->
 
===Discussion Group Threads relevant to the topic of Orthodoxy and Contraception===
* [https://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/orthodox.html The "Indiana" List archives] (search under contraception, birth control, or natural family planning) <!-- http://listserv.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=orthodox --->
* [http://www.monachos.net/mb/messages/4226/1140.html?1030056988 Monachos.net Discussion Community] - Discussion on birth control
<!--* [http://www.orthodoxfamily.com/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.cgi?action=Read&BID=22&TID=1&SID=2773 OrthodoxFamily.com] discussion on NFP --->
* [http://www.byzcath.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=001383 ByzCath.org discussion on birth control] - Includes Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox Perspectives
<!-- * [http://www.cin.org/archives/apolo/199811/0543.html Catholic Information Network discussion on contraception] - Includes Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox Perspectives --->
<!-- * [http://www.stmichael.org/cgi-dir/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Questions&action=display&num=87 St. Michael the Archangel Discussion Group] - Discussion with reference to contraception and the Orthodox Church --->
<!-- * [http://pub141.ezboard.com/fgregsdiscussionboardgodtalk.showMessage?topicID=1980.topic Greg K.'s ezBoard Discussion List] --->
 
 
[[Category:Bioethics]]
[[Category:Ethics]]
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