Birth control pill: yes or no?

Folha Espírita – September 1975

Marlene Rossi Severino Nobre

Scientific advances in medicine have changed the modus vivendi of contemporary society, even allowing for the development of fields such as gerontology (the study of problems affecting old age), with a view to extending the life span of individuals.  While countless medications have had a positive impact on hygiene and public health, none have caused as much excitement in society as anovulatory drugs, or birth control pills.

Historically, women often faced the challenge of managing the risk of unintended pregnancy, which affected their experiences in romantic relationships.  The introduction of oral contraceptives to millions of women globally brought about significant societal changes, resulting in notable shifts in social customs.

Patriarchal, repressive, and discriminatory society has since been under constant attack in an attempt to change and air out its principles.  This hypocritical society, which uses double standards and favors male selfishness, is undergoing considerable upheaval due to many factors, especially the incorporation of the “pill” into the list of women’s recent accomplishments.

Until very recently, sexual pleasure was considered “shameful” for well-married women; numerous offspring with almost no possibility of control or planning; difficulty in accessing schools; the exploitation of female labor; and excessive household responsibilities, especially regarding raising children, are prominent aspects of the subordinate situation in which women have lived for many centuries.

To take or not to take the pill – that is the question

Is there a Spiritist position on the use of the “pill” as a contraceptive?  Questions 693 and 693a of The Spirits’ Book raise the issue of obstacles to reproduction, emphasizing that man “can regulate reproduction according to needs,” referring to the problem of the proliferation of species on the planet.  It is up to each individual to discern what suits them best, because the Spiritist Doctrine enlightens and liberates the individual, leaving him free to choose the path he wishes to take in life.

There are many points to consider.  Why did the spiritual plane allow the synthesis of the hormones that make up the “pill”?  In this period of transition, when the rights always denied to women are up for review, when extreme sexual freedom emerges as a reaction to the long period of repression in which female souls were imprisoned for so many centuries, wouldn’t the “birth control pill” represent a transitional means of adjustment?

To take or not to take the pill, that is the question!  We understand that the decision should be the sole responsibility of the couple.  Spouses must ask themselves: are we going to plan our family or not?  If they decide yes, the choice of the means for this planning should be made by the spouses under medical supervision.  It should not be ignored that the pill introduces a state of pseudo-pregnancy into the body, which prevents conception.  Due to the fact that this change causes a permanent overload of hormones, which have a well-defined physiology in the body’s economy, medical advice is more than necessary.  For a certain number of women, it can be totally ill-advisable.  We refer only to women because the male pill is still in the experimental phase, but there is no doubt that men will share this responsibility with women in the very near future.

We remind you, for the sake of our study, that planning does not mean permanently preventing the birth of new beings.  The term itself gives the idea of responsible family planning.  We believe that the main obstacle to genuinely Christian planning lies in the fact that it is very difficult for human beings to establish the boundaries between the superfluous and the necessary, between selfishness and charity.  How many children should we have? How many spirits should we give the opportunity to be reborn?  In this case, sincere prayer and a willingness to do the right thing are very important elements in fulfilling family responsibilities.

Kardec states: “Disorder and improvidence are two scourges that only an enlightened education can cure.  This is the starting point, the real element of well-being, the guarantee of security for all” (The Spirits’ Book, question no. 685a).  Indeed, couples who are mature enough to understand spiritual realities will avoid domestic improvidence and disorder, offering, through self-sacrifice and effort, the best conditions for their children – Spirits whom God has placed under their care to receive support and guidance in their spiritual evolution.

If the couple decides to let nature determine the number of children they should have, it is because they are certainly willing to face all material and moral struggles to guarantee their numerous offspring the indispensable conditions to their development.

Teenagers: beware!

Hormones have very specific functions in the body.  In the case of young women, particularly teenagers, one of the most significant periods when female hormones are ingested in excess, as in the case of “pills,” is their specific activity on the epiphysis of the bones, preventing growth.

In a previous article, we referred to the two French ministers, Françoise Giroud and Simone Well, responsible for very recent legislation, opening the floodgates to a vast contraception program.  Today, any French teenager can use “pills” without even needing a prescription.  This is a very dangerous development!

Hormones have implications for sugar metabolism and must be closely monitored, especially in women with a tendency toward diabetes.  They also have repercussions in other areas, such as blood clotting, increased growth, and cell mitosis, among others, facts that should alert consumers, especially those in their teens.

There is still a point to be made regarding the moral aspect.  It is necessary for young girls to be aware that they are not falling into the sad trap of being treated as sex objects.  Freedom has nothing to do with debauchery.  Those who recommend sexual relations as if they were prescribing pills for a headache are completely unaware of the purpose of sex. “Every time a person invites another to sexual communion or accepts an invitation from someone else on the basis of affinity or trust, a circuit of forces is established between the two, through which the pair feeds psychically on spiritual energies, in a reciprocal relationship.”  This statement by Emmanuel clearly explains the profound psychological and spiritual implications involved in the sexual act.  No one harms their partner in matters of sex without harming themselves.  For this very reason, no one should be under any illusions.  Women’s emancipation will not take place within the framework of a polygamous regime.  No woman will be happy or feel free as long as she is considered merely an object of pleasure, without her soul and sensitivity blossoming to the fullness of her potential.