Saturday, August 16, 2008

Is Birth control a get out of jail free card?

My husband told me not to blog on this subject matter, he warned me of the slippery slope. I think I can manage it. I understand the teachings of our church on birth control and I understand it is a decision that should be between a husband, wife and God. But today's blog is about birth control outside the boundaries of marriage. Which then opens the ugly door of the teachings of abstinence versus safe sex. Everyone that knows me, knows that I lean completely towards abstinence. There are NO pitfalls when one chooses abstinence, but when one chooses safe sex there are many; physically and emotionally.
I quickly read a study this week about the dangers of oral contraceptives and how it interferes with a woman's hormones making her choose bad partners for life. At first glance I was completely irate. I mistakenly thought the article was implying that women are constantly dating and sleeping with the wrong guy because of the pill. Thus taking away all ACCOUNTABILITY on the woman's part. As if to say, "don't worry you are not some cheap floozy that will sleep with anyone the pill is making you do that"! I do not think the pill or any birth control should be a reason to have risky sex with multiple partners. Treating sex in this way cheapens it and takes it from being a very intimate thing to be shared among spouses, to a recreational sport that takes all value and intimacy out of it.
After stewing for several days, I went back and reread the article slowly. The article is actually a warning that because oral contraceptives can mess with a woman's hormones, instead of choosing an opposite in a mate is makes you choose someone like you, which apparently according to the study, is not how nature intended it to be. The idea is that if you are on "the pill" when looking for a mate you will choose the wrong one to go through life with. Quite frankly I don't know what to think about this study. But I would guess that if what it says is true then the only "safe" thing to do, is not take the pill and rely on good old abstinence to help lead your heart and your brain.

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