**Warning--- this post concerns birth control and abortion. It is going to get touchy. Read on at your own risk**
I have been contemplating writing about this for a long time, but have avoided it because of a few reasons... that mainly boil down to knowing it will offend some people and step on peoples toes, and that I am not big on confrontation, especially of the Internet variety.
^^ That is not my intention, but I assure you, it is going to happen, so just brace yourself, and I will brace myself, and hopefully we can all come out of it as friends...
I am writing this because I wish someone would have told me this a long time ago...
Did you know that all forms of hormonal birth control (all forms that are cited on the "pregnancy prevention" page of the American Pregnancy Association) have a secondary function of preventing a fertilized egg from implanting?
Why am I saying this?
Because, through my study of scripture and human biology I have come to believe, as many Christians (and non-Christians) I know do, that life begins at conception. Meaning, sperm meets egg and joins to form a unique creation that we call "life." If you don't believe this, then that is a debate and a topic for another time. I urge you to take some serious time of prayer and study (both biblically and "scientifically") on this topic, but I'm not going to go any further on it. (**I will warn you that you might want to stop reading here, because the rest of this is really aimed towards people who have the above conviction.**)
However, if you do believe this--- that life begins at conception--- then hormonal birth control has the possibility of having abortive effects. What does this mean? This means that every month there is a chance (how small is not certain, but studies show that there is a 4-15% chance of ovulation/possibility of fertilization every month for women using the pill (click here, see point 8)) that a life is being ended due to the effects of taking hormonal birth control.
You might know this, or you might thinking what I was, which was a big "Whhhaaaattt?"
The primary function of hormonal birth control (depo shot, IUD, patch and pills) is to either prevent ovulation or prevent sperm from reaching a fertile egg. However, all of these forms of birth control have a secondary function (read--- ovulation occurs, or sperm gets through to egg, because they're persistent little buggers) of making the uterus unable/less able to support a pregnancy.
Meaning the egg gets fertilized, a life is formed, but it cannot grow because the drugs make this impossible. Essentially (and here comes the inconvenient truth that people are not going to like--- I know this because I did not like it myself)--- you are taking/using drugs which cause the end of an already started pregnancy, and an already forming life.
Now, I realize there are about a million reasons why people use birth control--- from just not wanting any more kids to financial issues to medical considerations for the mother and/or child. I realize that it is a very inconvenient truth. That, if this is new information to you, it probably throws a wrench in a lot of plans (or non-plans) that you have.
However, I have to say (and realize that this is said with compassion, even if it doesn't sound like it)--- so what.
Now this is the real crux of the matter, the real reason I've been driven to write this post--- and this is aimed specifically towards Christians, so if there's anyone out there still reading that doesn't buy into the whole Jesus thing, you're excluded here---
We have to practice what we preach.
"Why do
you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that
is in your own eye? Or how
can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there
is the log in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly
to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."
--- Jesus
If we preach that life is precious, that children are a blessing, that life begins at conception and that abortion is murder... then the only real answer to all our "buts" concerning hormonal birth control is
SO WHAT
If we would not view something as an "acceptable" reason to go to a clinic and get an abortion, why can we view it as an "acceptable" reason to end a pregnancy by using drugs?
Maybe because it's only a slight risk?
Let me ask those of you that already have children--- what is an acceptable *unnecessary* risk to your child's life? I understand we put them at risk every day, the world is a dangerous place. But how much of an unnecessary risk is acceptable? Would you put your child on a roller coaster or give them a skateboard if they had a 15% chance of dying? What about 5%? Would you take your kids to magic mountain if 5% of their guests died? What about 1%? If only 1% of guests at Magic Mountain died, would you buy them a ticket?
Again--- *if* we believe life begins at conception--- If I believe that life begins at conception, and therefore that the second sperm meets egg I have a child inside of me, then I am essentially playing that same odds game by using birth control.
I am going to argue here--- and you may think I'm wrong, but that's fine--- that it is always an unnecessary risk. Why? Because we have other options. If getting pregnant really will put your life or your child's life at risk, then honestly, you shouldn't be trusting these methods anyway, because they aren't 100%.
I get that this is an inflammatory, touchy subject. Maybe you're saying to yourself that it's none of my business, or that I don't know your situation. Both are probably true--- but aren't both true for women showing up at Planned Parenthood every day?
If I'm telling them their wrong, I have to look at myself, see the giant redwood protruding from my own eye, and realize that I, too, am wrong.
Again (and if it didn't come off this way, I am truly sorry), I say this out of love. I am putting this out there because I wish someone would have told me this information a long time ago, and Thank God I found out when I did and not many years later.
... and hopefully we're all still friends.
XOXO
Beka
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