By Val and Deacon Gary Streff
Special to the Herald
When couples need help starting a family, Catholic Church teachings favor the fertility awareness-based method known as natural family planning over contraceptives.
Contraceptives and natural family planning are often used synonymously, however, there is a distinct difference.
Contraceptives are used to prevent pregnancy. Contraceptives devices include hormonal birth control pills, implants, patches, injections, intrauterine devices, condoms and spermicides.
In contrast, natural family planning uses the woman’s natural fertility cycle to track her fertile and non-fertile days. A woman would have sex during her fertile period in hopes of getting pregnant or abstain from sex to avoid pregnancy.
Today, the use of hormonal contraceptives has broadened in scope. They are now prescribed to female teenagers and young women to treat painful cramps, irregular periods, reduce severe acne and manage underlying conditions like endometriosis. More studies are needed to understand the long-term effect contraceptives have on a woman’s body.
When it comes to pregnancy, contraceptives can prevent ovulation from occurring or prevent the egg and sperm from being fertilized. If fertilization does occur, contraceptives can alter the lining of the uterine wall to prevent embryo implantation.
With natural family planning, the woman’s biological menstrual cycle is monitored — the calendar, basal body temperature and cervical mucus combined can indicate when the body is most fertile. Technology such as the Inito fertility monitor or Femometer smart ring can be used at home to track ovulation and fertile periods.
Locally, Teresa Federickson teaches the Billings method for natural family planning; contact her at teresafedericks3@gmail.com. Another resource is Maile Domingo, president of the Hamau I Loko Foundation, a nonprofit agency that strives to “uphold human dignity and build a culture of family.” Call (808) 222-0644 or visit hamauiloko.org.
Church’s teachings
The “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services” (ERD #52) states that “Catholic health institutions may not promote or condone contraceptive practices but should provide, for married couples and the medical staff who counsel them, instruction both about the Church’s teaching on responsible parenthood and in methods of natural family planning” (ERD 52).
In 1968, Pope Paul VI wrote an encyclical called “Humanae Vitae” which upheld a ban on artificial contraceptives. It was not received very well, and many parishioners chose to ignore its teachings. Each of us must decide if we want to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church or choose what we want to believe.
The encyclical expresses the beauty of the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman and their inseparable dimension of fulfilling God’s natural law through its unitive and procreative acts. The unitive act is the conjugal self-giving love to one another. The procreative act ensures that the unity between the married couple is open to the transmission of life by having children.
Contraceptives block the unitive and procreative act by interfering with the natural biological and spiritual design of intercourse.
In 1995, St. John Paul II elaborated on “Humanae Vitae” in his own encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae.” In it, the pontiff noted that we are to build the culture of life by valuing every human being that is conceived.
After the encyclical’s publication, he began his “Theology of the Body” lecture series in which he explained sexuality and how marriage reveals the spiritual and divine mysteries of God.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may we always discern what is best for us through Scripture, the sacraments and the guidance of the magisterium, the church’s teaching authority.
Val and Deacon Gary Streff are co-directors of the diocesan Respect Life Office.