Posted on 05/25/2006 9:24:35 AM PDT by gcruse
[The rhythm method and embryonic death J Med Ethics 2006; 32: 355-6]
The “rhythm method” may kill off more embryos than other contraceptive methods, such as coils, morning after pills, and oral contraceptives, suggests an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
The method relies on abstinence during the most fertile period of a woman’s menstrual cycle. For a woman who has regular 28 day cycles, this is around days 10 to 17 of the cycle.
It is the only method of birth control condoned by the Catholic Church, because it doesn’t interfere with conception, so allowing nature to take its course.
It is believed that the method works because it prevents conception from occurring. But says Professor Bovens, it may owe much of its success to the fact that embryos conceived on the fringes of the fertile period are less viable than those conceived towards the middle.
We don’t know how much lower embryo viability is outside this fertile period, contends Professor Bovens, but we can calculate that two to three embryos will have died every time the rhythm method results in a pregnancy.
Is it not just as callous to organise your sex life to make it harder for a fertilised egg to survive, using this method, as it is to use the coil or the morning after pill, he asks?
Professor Bovens cites Randy Alcorn, a US pro-life campaigner, who has equated global oral contraceptive use to chemical abortion that is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths of embryos, or unborn children, every year.
But says Professor Bovens: if all oral contraceptive users converted to the rhythm method, then they would be effectively causing the deaths of millions of embryos.
Similarly, regular condom users, whose choice of contraception is deemed to be 95% effective in preventing pregnancy, would “cause less embryonic deaths than the rhythm method,” he says.
“…the rhythm method may well be responsible for massive embryonic death, and the same logic that turned pro-lifers away from morning after pills, IUDs, and pill usage, should also make them nervous about the rhythm method,” he contends.
Click here to view the paper in full: http://press.psprings.co.uk/jme/june/355_me13920.pdf
The embryo is a fertilized egg, ready to be implanted, if my recollection holds.
Professor of Economics and Philosophy???Geeze,can't we at least get a degree in Biology in there,never mind a degree in Medicine?
"May" ... "might" ... "there's a possibility" ... "we can't know empirically" ... but we'll sure as heck use it to trash those d--n Catholics.
We don’t know how much lower embryo viability is outside this fertile period, contends Professor Bovens, but we can calculate that two to three embryos will have died every time the rhythm method results in a pregnancy.
If we don't know how much lower embryo viability is, how can we "calculate" anything?
And is he talking about "the rhythm method" (which nobody has used since the mid-1960's) or sympto-thermal NFP (which is not "the rhythm method")?
This article is what's technically called a large pile of steaming ...
:)
This is such a lame argument I don't know where to begin. Moreover that Catholic Church's opposition to contraception extends beyond the abortifacient aspects of the pill.
"British Medical Journal", figures.
****************
No kidding.
No kidding, the least he could do is do the five minutes of research required to find that out.
These are supposed to be real researchers and such but they cannot even get the name of the method correct? Please...
He has no applicable credentials in medicine or reproductive biology.
None.
So where is the problem here?
If this is the case then these embryos are chosen to not survive by their Creator.
Not man.
"This may help Catholics abstain longer to virtually eliminate the chance of killing a fetus. Why take a chance when you are playing with a life?"
Bingo.
Ummm...okay.
Funny. :)
Although, in our case, using Natural Family Planning allowed us to conceive a daughter after suffering three miscarriages. A true miracle!
It is believed that the method works because it prevents conception from occurring. But says Professor Bovens, it may owe much of its success to the fact that embryos conceived on the fringes of the fertile period are less viable than those conceived towards the middle. We don’t know how much lower embryo viability is outside this fertile period, contends Professor Bovens, but we can calculate that two to three embryos will have died every time the rhythm method results in a pregnancy. What a load of BS! Talk about a missuse of one's science posture ...
Might have worked pretty well. Would you be up to kid #8 without it? :-)
Dole Office Clerk: Occupation?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher.
Dole Office Clerk: What?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human existence into a viable and meaningful comprehension. Dole Office Clerk: Oh, a bull**** artist!
Comicus: Hmmmmmm...
Dole Office Clerk: Did you bull**** last week?
Comicus: No.
Dole Office Clerk: Did you try to bull*** last week?
Comicus: Yes!
What is the rate for no contraception at all? How often is the egg without implantation and a pregnancy?
We used NFP to prevent pregnancy...and twice to cause it.
Thus my nick! :-)
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