have squashed the influence of their
normal fertile hormones. Chemical con-
traceptives work by putting a woman in
a state of pseudo pregnancy. Researchers
who invented the chemical contracep-
tives realized that they could “deceive” a
woman’s body into “thinking” that preg-
nancy had begun by giving it synthetic
forms of the hormones that are present
when a woman is pregnant. One problem
is that women respond to men differently
when they are pregnant, or using a chemi-
cal contraceptive.
And men respond to women differ-
ently. Men produce more testosterone
when they are around women who are
having fertile cycles. One study showed
that males who were in the presence of fe-
male fertile hormones found the pictures
of ordinary women more attractive than
pictures of super models. How strange
that women are deliberately repressing
their most natural means of attracting
male attention.
Chemical contraceptives also reduce
the amount of testosterone that a fe-
male produces—and for females, as well
as males, testosterone is the source of
contraceptives also have a lethal effect on
some elements of the larger environment;
they have been shown to destroy the fertil-
ity of some groups of fish, for instance.
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
AND ITS BENEFITS
Spouses who truly appreciate the gift
of fertility understand that when they
are not prepared to accept the gift of a
child, for just reasons, they should ab-
stain from sex when a pregnancy is pos-
sible; that is, they use a method of natural
family planning (NFP). Many studies and
testimonies affirm the benefits of using
NFP, even the benefits of what is difficult
about abstaining. Wives feel more trea-
sured and revered by their husbands, who
would not subject them to the dangers of
contraceptives. Males appreciate the es-
teem earned from their wives and benefit
from greater self-esteem.
Couples invariably speak of an im-
provement in communication that comes
with the use of NFP and better communi-
cation always strengthens marriages. The
biggest selling point for NFP is that NFP
couples almost never divorce. Young peo-
been taught the Church’s teaching, isn’t
it more likely that they have been formed
more by the culture that surrounds them
than by their Church? One of the first
to articulate the principle that the recep-
tivity of the faithful to a teaching—those
who practice the faith—is an indicator of
the truth of a teaching was John Henry
Newman. Yet he promoted the practice
of consulting the sensus fidelium in respect
to an undecided doctrine, not one the
Church has constantly taught.
Would Catholics accept the Church’s
teaching on contraception if they were
taught it? We have some evidence a size-
able portion might. A recent study,
“What Catholic Women Think About
Faith, Conscience, and Contraception”
(see whatcatholicwomenthink.com), has
shown that thirty-seven percent of women
aged eighteen to thirty-four who attend
Mass weekly and have been to confession
within the past year completely accept the
Church’s teaching on family planning.
Somewhere, somehow, those women have
been exposed to the Church’s teaching
and have found that it is compatible with
their faith and enriches their lives.
“I AM WILLING TO BRING ABOUT ANOTHER YOU;
I AM WILLING TO SPEND THE WHOLE OF MY LIFE WITH YOU.”
sexual desire. Thus, women on chemical
contraceptives find their sexual desire is
reduced; and possibly, when they come
off chemical contraceptives, it may never
return to the level it reached before they
began using such contraceptives.
So, we see that women are choosing
their mates, not under the influence of
their own more reliable fertile hormones
but on alien synthetic hormones. When
they come off the chemical contracep-
tives, they may find that they have a
higher sex drive, but that they may not be
much interested in the man they are with!
Contraceptives obviously have a nega-
tive effect on the delicate ecological system
of a woman’s fertility. The estrogens in
ple hate divorce; they desperately want
their marriages to last. Refraining from
sexual intercourse before marriage and
using NFP within marriage are two of the
best ways to “divorce-proof” a marriage.
CATHOLICS DESERVE TO BE
TAUGHT HUMANAE VITAE
Some have argued that since ninety-
eight percent of Catholics (who have
been sexually active) have used contracep-
tion (according to statistics in the US),
the sense of the faithful (the sensus fide-
lium) is the use of contraception is not in-
compatible with the Christian faith. That
seems to be the position of the bishops
of Germany. But if Catholics have never
Cardinal Caffarra of Bologna has force-
fully said Catholics deserve to be exposed
to a robust defense of the Church’s teach-
ing on sexuality. It would certainly help
stem the tide of human misery caused
by sexual confusion if the Vatican would
urge bishops, pastors, theologians, and
laypeople to embrace Humanae Vitae.
Dr. Janet E. Smith is a professor of moral theol-
ogy and the Fr. Michael J. McGivney Chair of
Life Ethics at Sacred Heart.
[This article is a modified reprint of “The Synod
and Artificial Contraception: Time to Teach Hu-
mane Vitae,” published in the May-June 2014 is-
sue of Faith Movement magazine.]
shms.edu
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