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
Category