Birth Control Contraceptive Or Abortive?

Birth Control: Contraceptive or Abortive?

Chrystal Mueller

COM125

Thomas Snell

January 5, 2007

Birth Control: Contraceptive or Abortive?

Our Physicians may not be telling us the whole truth about hormonal birth control methods; they prevent pregnancy in three ways and the third way is abortive. The Birth control pill was introduced in 1960, as soon as 1962, 1.2 million American women were taking birth control. In 1965, 5 million American women were taking it. In 1973, 10 million American women were taking it. In the 1980's the birth control rate dropped due to harmful side effects of the pill. In 1990 there were over 10.7 million American women who currently take the birth control pill.

There are many types of birth control available today. Most birth control methods use a combination of hormones that work to prevent pregnancy in three ways. The first way is to prevent ovulation this is the primary mechanism. The problem is that birth control does not always prevent ovulation. The next way birth control works is to thicken the cervical mucus to make it more difficult for sperm to travel to the egg. The last way birth control works is to thin and shrivel the lining of the uterus to the point that it is difficult for a fertilized egg to implant. When the egg is unable to implant into the uterus it causes an early abortion. Preventing ovulation and thickening of cervical mucus are contraceptive. Thinning and shriveling the uterus is abortive.

The exception to birth controls that cause abortions are abstinence, (refraining from sex), natural family planning or rhythm method (abstaining from sex only while one ovulate), condoms, (used by the male to prevent sperm from entering the woman) sterilization (a permanent form of birth control that is very difficult to reverse) diaphragm or cervical cap (used by the woman, inserted in to the vagina, so that the cervix is covered, spermacides are used in addition to the diaphragm and cervical cap) and vaginal foams and creams (used by the woman to kill the sperm before they reach the egg.)

Many people are against abortions, but for birth control. When I first found out about birth controls causing abortions, I asked my doctor, and she would not tell me that they did, all she said was that they work in three ways and told me the ways not knowing that one would understand that thinning the uterus is just another term to say making ones uterus unable to let a baby implant.

Though physicians rarely tell their patients who use birth control that they are abortificants it does state it in all the patient information packets that come along with the pill though one may not understand the words the companies use the companies do put the information in the packets. Nuva ring states that "combination hormonal contraceptives act by suppression of gonodotropins. Birth Control and the Christian say's " Prostaglandins are substances that cause the onset of strong uterine contractions and delivery of whatever size baby the uterus contains. If used before the baby is able to live outside the womb, this is equivalent to abortion. Although the primary effect of this action is inhibition of ovulation, other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus (which increase the difficulty of sperm entry in the uterus) and the endometrium (witch reduce the likelihood of implantation)." Marina IUD says, "There is no single explanation of how Mirena works. It may stop the release of your egg from your ovary, but this is not the way it works in most cases. It may block sperm from reaching or fertilizing your egg. It may make the lining of your uterus thin. We do not know which of these actions is most important for preventing pregnancy and most likely all of them work together." The mini pill is a birth control pill that contains a small amount of progesterone. People who take the mini pill take it for 30 days instead of 21. Birth Control and the Christian says " There is considerable controversy whether or not its action is primarily in preventing implantation, as other mechanisms of action have been suggested, but general scientific opinion at this time is in substantial agreement. It would seem that the mini pill does allow a substantial amount of breakthrough ovulation, and presumably at times fertilization. When fertilization occurs it prevents pregnancy by an anti implantation action. This action is best described as an abortifacient. Ortho Micronor (the mini pill) says "progestin-only oral contraceptives prevent conception by suppressing ovulation in approximately half of users, thickening the cervical mucus to inhibit sperm penetration, lowering the midcycle LH and FSH peaks, slowing the movement of the ovum through the fallopian tubes and altering the endometrium. Combination oral contraceptives act by suppression of gonodotropins. Although the primary mechanism of

This action is inhibition of ovulation; other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus (which increase the Difficulty of sperm entry into the uterus) and the endometrium (which reduce the likelihood of implantation).

Randy Alcorn says that " Some physicians have theorized that when ovulation occurs in pill takers, the subsequent hormone production " turns on" the endometrium, causing it to become receptive to implantation. However, there is no direct evidence to support this theory, and there is at least some evidence against it." Emergency contraception101 states, " Nearly 40% of all pregnancies in the United states, are unplanned. Among teenagers, 34% will become pregnant, and up to 85% of these pregnancies will be unintended. Experts believe that using emergency contraception in time could prevent up to half of all unwanted pregnancies. It is even believed that using emergency contraception could prevent up to 70 % of all abortions among American women."

Emergency contraception works (depending on where one is in ones monthly cycle when one takes them.) by preventing or delaying ovulation, affect the movement of the egg or sperm, interfering with the fertilization process, or prevent implanting of an already fertilized egg. Emergency Contraception 101 States Emergency contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy after sex. Emergency contraception