Does natural birth control really destroy embryos?

An English expert warns against the popular Catholic methods of contraception because it’s is said to increase the chances of having a miscarriage.

 

 

Does natural birth control cause embryonic deaths? (PhotoXpress)

 

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What’s the calendar method?

The calendar or rhythm method is a form of natural birth control, which is also approved by the Catholic Church. It’s a way of avoiding pregnancy by refraining from sex during a woman’s fertile period, from the 10th to 17th day of her menstrual cycle. The Church permits the use of this method because it doesn’t prevent conception, but only avoids it – couples have sex during the natural “infertile” period.

Embryos aren’t strong enough to survive

Luc Bovens, professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics, writes in the Journal of Medical Ethics that this method owes its success to a diminished ability of embryos to survive if fertilisation occurs on the fringes of the fertile period. There’s 10% chance that it occurs and such embryos are twice as likely to fail as to survive – in other word, if your baby is conceived outside the fertile period, you are twice as likely to have a miscarriage.

The method is supposed to destroy more embryos than any other method of contraception, professor Bovens claims. This should avert pro-life activists, who fight against abortion and birth control, from this type of contraception.

Bovens didn’t confirm his ethical-medical hypothesis with a study and many people argue that it’s all grist to the mill of the pharmaceutical industry.

 

Read more about sex and sexuality in our Lover's Guide.

 

 

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