‘Pill’ effects

To the editor:

On July 25, 1968, the document “Humanae Vitae” or “Of Human Life” was released by Pope Paul VI. In it, he said if artificial contraception was accepted by society, there would be an increase in marital infidelity, a lowering of morality, man might lose respect for woman and see her as an instrument of selfish enjoyment and it might be a dangerous weapon in the hands of public authority.

Forty years later, married adults divorce four times as often as they did 50 years ago; more people are living together without marriage; 4.8 million physical assaults and rapes by intimate partners are reported yearly; pornography revenues worldwide are over $97 billion; and China’s one-child policy has been heavily enforced. Prior to 1930, all Christian churches believed contraception was morally wrong.

The Pill has many possible side effects including weight gain, a change in sexual desire, migraine, mental depression, high blood pressure, abdominal cramps and bloating and increased chance of breast cancer, just to name a few.

Natural family planning (NFP) like Creighton Model and Couple to Couple League respect the great gift of fertility. Fertility is a normal process not a disease. NFP is safe (no side effects), healthy and effective in achieving or avoiding pregnancy. It is easy to learn and use, ecologically and environmentally friendly and inexpensive. Marital relationships improve and less than 5 percent of the couples who use NFP divorce.

Donna Roush,
Lawrence