Contraception

Contraception

Natural methods

• Couples need to be in a long term relationship. Do not prevent STIs
• Natural Family Planning (NFP) – monitor woman’s fertility cycle so she knows when she is most fertile and so does not have sex on those days.

Artificial methods

• Many types. Do not need to be in a long term relationship. Some prevent STIs from spreading.
• Barrier methods e.g. condoms. Stop sperm meeting the egg.
• Hormonal e.g. the Pill. Stops women from producing an egg.
• Others e.g. coil or morning after pill prevent fertilised egg attaching to the womb

Catholic Attitude

• do not accept the use of artificial contraception because it would prevent the act of sexual love being open to new life.  Allow NFP.
• Casti Connubii (1930) banned Catholics from using artificial contraception
• 1951 – Pope Pius XII says Catholics can use natural contraception

Non-Catholic Christians

• Allow all contraceptives as long as they are to limit the family size.
• Christian’s who accept the use of contraception in marriage argue that there is nothing written in the Bible forbidding it.
• The Church of England accepts the use of all forms of contraception by a married couple and it allows the couple the chance to enjoy sexual love but choose the best timing, and size, of their family.

Muslim attitudes

Against

• ‘Do not kill your children for fear of want.’ Quran
• Sex is for procreation (contraception stops this from happening)
• Some contraceptives abort the foetus (seen as murder and not allowed)
• Muslim duty is to have a large family

For

• Teaching of ‘coitus interruptus’ Muhammed
• God would not want his followers burdened (a large family would be one)
• If woman knows she will die if she gets pregnant then it could be classed as suicide

Muslim lawyers state that abortion is different to contraception