Free Republic

President Obama’s crusade to enact health-care reform legislation is nearing its climactic battle in the US Senate. How should Catholic Americans look upon this legislative struggle? The US bishops have consistently voiced their support for health-care reform, while insisting that the legislation must include some language ensuring against public support for abortion. In the House of Representatives their lobbying had its desired effect, and the “Stupak Amendment” gave the bishops a bill they could support. In the Senate a pro-life amendment was rejected. Still the US bishops’ conference has clung to the bare hope that some acceptable language might be...

Contraception is almost five times cheaper than conventional green technologies as a means of combating climate change, according to new research commissioned by the Optimum Population Trust.

Families with more than 10 children are becoming the norm among a group of traditionalist US Christians. The so-called Quiverfull families believe they are carrying out God's work, and providing a new generation of moral leaders. The BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott went to Illinois to meet some of them. The way Psalm 127 talks about children has an almost military sound. It describes them as "an inheritance, and arrows in the hands of a mighty warrior," adding, "happy is he whose quiver is full of them". Many Quiverfull families do indeed sense looming battles for Christians, and often...

For those who haven’t followed it, there’s a battle shaping up over religious liberty at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C. At issue is the college’s ability to refuse to provide contraceptive coverage in its health insurance plan. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Charlotte, N.C., ruled that Belmont Abbey discriminated against female employees by refusing to cover prescription contraceptives. “As a Roman Catholic institution, Belmont Abbey College is not able to and will not offer nor subsidize medical services that contradict the clear teaching of the Catholic Church,” said the college’s president, William Thierfelder, at the time. In March,...

(edit)Scientists say the hormones in the oral contraceptive suppress a female's interest in masculine men  - and make boyish men more attractive.   Dr Alexandra Alvergne, of the University of Sheffield, says the Pill could also be altering the way women pick mates - and could have long term implications for society.  'There are many obvious benefits of the Pill for women, but there is also the possibility that the Pill has psychological side effects that we are only just discovering,' she said.  'We need further studies to find out what these are.'  (edit)  Scientists have long known that a...

Estrogen – from artificial contraception pills, consumed daily by tens of millions of women – is making its way through sewage treatment plants and severely pollutes our waterways with chilling consequences. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reacted to an August report that emissions from coal-fired power plants have led to widespread mercury pollution in our rivers and streams by saying: "this science sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation's waterways, and protect the public from potential health dangers." Who, after all, wants toxic levels of mercury in our rivers? But mercury is not...

" chemist who led to the invention of the birth control pill says he regrets the demographic catastrophe that has resulted from people using the contraceptive device to separate reproduction from sexuality, reports Baptist Press. Carl Djerassi, the 85-year-old Austrian chemist who was one of three whose formulation of synthetic hormones paved the way for the pill, wrote an opinion piece in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard lamenting the way the pill has been used. Austria's population now includes more people over age 65 than under 15, and Djerassi said the country soon will face an "impossible situation" as the...

The oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin are the top-selling pharmaceutical line for Bayer HealthCare, largely as a result of marketing that presents them as much more than mere pregnancy prevention. Yaz, in particular, the top-selling birth control pill in the United States, owes much of its popularity to multimillion-dollar ad campaigns that have promoted the drug as a quality-of-life treatment to combat acne and severe premenstrual depression. Yaz, a newer sister drug to Yasmin, contains less estrogen. The franchise had worldwide sales of about $1.8 billion last year, based on Bayer’s successful positioning of Yasmin and Yaz as the go-to...

A new study is suggesting a “strong” link between the religiosity of a state’s residents and the teen birth rate there. Though only half of the states listed among the ten most conservatively religious also appear in the list of ten states with the highest teen birth rates, researchers behind the latest study say increased religiosity in residents of states in the U.S. strongly predicted a higher teen birth rate. “With data aggregated at the state level, conservative religious beliefs strongly predict U.S. teen birth rates, in a relationship that does not appear to be the result of confounding by...

Wed Jul 22, 5:39 pm ET NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Oral contraceptives behave differently in the bodies of obese women than in normal-weight women, new research shows, suggesting that they may not work as well in preventing pregnancy. But more research is needed before any recommendations can be made on contraceptive use based on a woman's body mass index (BMI), a standard measure of the ratio between height and weight, Dr. Alison B. Edelman of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and her colleagues say. There's been some evidence to suggest that the birth control pill may be...

Catholic villagers in Thua Thien-Hue province say they have tried their best to follow Church teaching on the use of artificial birth control methods in the face of the government's two-child policy. Huong Toan villagers, just like Vietnamese elsewhere in the country, are required to have no more than two children per family since 1994, when village authorities launched a nationwide family planning program. Families with more than two children have to pay rice to the government as a fine. Many local Catholics say they have done their best to remain true to Church teaching but some have had to...

A cancer awareness group says as schools pass out birth control to young girls, they are failing to notify them about an increased health risk. According to Karen Malec, president of The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, young girls who are prescribed estrogen+progestin-based birth control by their school nurses are at an increased risk for breast, cervix, and liver cancer. World Health Organization conducted a study in 2005 and found that type of birth control carcinogenic. "In other words, they cause cancer in human beings," she notes. "And they assign these drugs the highest level of carcinogenicity -- the highest level...

Bristol Palin's new abstinence campaign shines a light on the Republican Party's unhealthy attitude about sex and desire. BY MEGHAN MCCAIN The first time I ever heard about oral sex was during the Lewinsky scandal. Mostly, I remember being confused by President Clinton’s response—“it depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is”. When it comes to sex, politicians face all sorts of double standards: who is allowed to have sex with whom, what constitutes sex, and whether it’s appropriate, to name a few. Candie’s Foundation’s announcement that they were partnering with Bristol Palin to promote an abstinence-only campaign has caused...

The Gift of Children by Mary Anne Hackett * I frequently give consideration to the problem in today’s anti-child society and how we might combat the terrible devaluation of children that is so prevalent in our country and worldwide. I believe that the attitudes we are witnessing are the result of the acceptance of contraception. With contraception, you remove God from your marriage and from your decision. People no longer consider what might please God, but rather what will please you. You begin to think you can decide when you will have a child, when a child fits into your...

The estimated 39 percent of American college women who use birth control pills could enjoy relief from big price increases over the last two years thanks to a provision in the budget bill signed by President Barack Obama. Students had seen prices for oral contraceptives at college health clinics shoot up two- and threefold — the apparently unintended consequence of a deficit-reduction provision that went into effect in January, 2007. The bill Obama signed Wednesday restores an incentive for drug-makers to offer discounts for the pills, although it doesn't guarantee they will do so. Still, college health officials were celebrating...

Cardinal James Stafford reflects on how dissenters to Humane Vitae tore the Church apart -- and how that rift left scars that remain to this day. "Lead us not into temptation" is the sixth petition of the Our Father. Peirasmòs, the Greek word used in this passage for 'temptation,' means a trial or test. Disciples petition God to be protected against the supreme test of ungodly powers. The trial is related to Jesus's cup in Gethsemane, the same cup which his disciples would also taste (Mk 10: 35-45). The dark side of the interior of the cup is an abyss....

Friday February 27, 2009 Swiss Women Abandoning the Pill Due to Adverse Health Effects Matthew Cullinan Hoffman PARIS, February 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The use of the contraceptive pill is plummeting among younger women, in response to growing awareness of its destructive health effects, reports a French bioethics site. According to the site "Genetique," the use of "the pill" among women aged 15 to 24 years old dropped from 43% in 2003 to 26% in 2007.   The rate of childbirth among the same group increased at the same time. "The principal reason for this decrease is the attention paid...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A chemist who led to the invention of the birth control pill says he regrets the demographic catastrophe that has resulted from people using the contraceptive device to separate reproduction from sexuality. Carl Djerassi, the 85-year-old Austrian chemist who was one of three whose formulation of synthetic hormones paved the way for the pill, wrote an opinion piece in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard lamenting the way the pill has been used. Austria's population now includes more people over age 65 than under 15, and Djerassi said the country soon will face an "impossible situation" as the working...

"The contraceptive funding is an effort to expand federal efforts to prevent unwanted births. Currently, Medicaid provides family planning services after women become pregnant." "The report found that post-pregnancy family planning did nothing to reduce the cost of Medicaid-funded births."

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- After a national pro-life outcry following news that Congressional Democrats placed a bailout for the Planned Parenthood abortion business in the economic stimulus bill, President Barack Obama has urged party leaders to remove it. Obama is expected to tell Congressional Republicans today during a meeting. Republican leaders, including House Minority Leader John Boehner complained bitterly about the plan sending money to Planned Parenthood. Boehner said there is no reason for an economic package to contain funds for the nation's largest abortion business by qualifying more people for family planning funds under Medicaid. During a Friday House...

During his regular “Question of the Hour” segment on Monday’s Situation Room, CNN commentator Jack Cafferty compared House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s idea to spend hundred of millions of dollars on contraception as a cost-reducing measure to the oppressive birth control policies of the Chinese Communists under Mao: “What exactly did she mean? Are the millions of dollars for contraception supposed to stop people from having babies? [That’s] starting to sound a little like Chairman Mao.” The commentator began his 5 pm Eastern hour “Cafferty File” segment by describing President Obama’s proposed stimulus package, and how this past weekend, “lawmakers were...

WASHINGTON -- Democratic leaders in the House are nearly certain to drop federal funding for new contraceptive services and on-going programs to stop sexually transmitted diseases from the $825 billion economic stimulus bill due to hit the floor Tuesday, a senior official told FOX News. (snip)The contraceptive funding is an effort to expand federal efforts to prevent unwanted births. Currently, Medicaid provides family planning services after women become pregnant. This move would focus all federal funds on contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies, not the other family planning services Medicaid provides. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended the policy initiative Sunday on...

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democrats are likely to jettison family planning funds for the low-income from an $825 billion economic stimulus bill, officials said late Monday, following a personal appeal from President Barack Obama at a time the administration is courting Republican critics of the legislation. Several officials said a final decision was expected on Tuesday, coinciding with Obama's scheduled visit to the Capitol for separate meetings with House and Senate Republicans. The provision has emerged as a point of contention among Republicans, who criticize it as an example of wasteful spending that would neither create jobs nor otherwise improve...

Backing Away from Pelosi, White House Says Birth Control Funding in Stimulus Bill Was Not Obama's Idea Monday, January 26, 2009 By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer (CNSNews.com) - The Obama White House on Monday backed away from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s support for increased federal funding of contraception in the $825-billion stimulus bill now under consideration by Congress. That was not President Obama’s idea, a White House spokesman told CNSNews.com. “The principles of what he thought should be in the package--that wasn’t part of that,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told CNSNews.com. “They’re working on what the final...

(CNSNews.com) - The Obama White House on Monday backed away from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s support for increased federal funding of contraception in the $825-billion stimulus bill now under consideration by Congress. That was not President Obama’s idea, a White House spokesman told CNSNews.com. “The principles of what he thought should be in the package--that wasn’t part of that,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told CNSNews.com. “They’re working on what the final bill should look like.” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was among the first to criticize the Democratic plan, specifically the provisions funding contraception. The provision...

Here is video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday on This Week saying that plans to include millions of dollars for contraceptives and "family planning services" in the Obama Stimulus Plan is justifiable because it reduces costs for states. What this little gem in the plan reveals is that the Obama's Stimulus Plan is a trojan horse that Democrats will use to fund a laundry list of far-Left programs and initiatives, from Planned Parenthood to Global Warming inspired "Green" jobs and projects. They are pushing this under the guise of saving the nation from a depression, but most of what...

Continuing my browse through Thomas, I discovered a craftily-worded bill that was introduced into the House: HR 570, "Protecting Patients and Health Care Act of 2009." The bill is very carefully and briefly worded. It simply states: "The final regulations issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services entitled “Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law”, 73 Fed. Reg. 78072 (December 19, 2008), shall have no force or effect." This actually refers to 45 CFR 88, which essentially prohibits HHS funds to go...

New research strengthens the link between water pollution and rising male fertility problems. The study, by Brunel University, the Universities of Exeter and Reading and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, shows for the first time how a group of testosterone-blocking chemicals is finding its way into UK rivers, affecting wildlife and potentially humans. The research was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council and is now published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The study identified a new group of chemicals that act as ‘anti-androgens.’ This means that they inhibit the function of the male hormone, testosterone, reducing male...

The chemist who made a key discovery leading to the invention of the birth control pill has written a commentary calling demographic decline in Europe a “horror scenario” and a “catastrophe” brought on in part by the pill’s invention. Mr. Carl Djerassi, now 85 years old, was one of three researchers whose formulation of the synthetic progestagen Norethisterone marked a key step in the creation of the first oral contraceptive pill, the Guardian reports. In a personal commentary in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, Djerassi said his invention is partly to blame for demographic imbalance in Europe. On the continent,...

he contraceptive pill is polluting the environment and is in part responsible for male infertility, a report in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said Saturday. The pill "has for some years had devastating effects on the environment by releasing tonnes of hormones into nature" through female urine, said Pedro Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, in the report. "We have sufficient evidence to state that a non-negligible cause of male infertility in the West is the environmental pollution caused by the pill," he said, without elaborating further. "We are faced with a clear...

Johnson & Johnson has paid at least $68.7 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits related to its Ortho Evra birth-control patch, which has been linked to harmful blood clots. The patch exposes women to higher doses of estrogen than ordinary contraceptive pills. Some studies have suggested that increased exposure raises the risk of blood clots, which can lead to strokes or heart attacks. J&J says the patch is safe if used according to its Food and Drug Administration-approved label. According to the wire service: Of 562 complaints reviewed by Bloomberg News, the vast majority of users alleged the patch caused...

The Bush administration proposed new rules today that critics say would make it more difficult for women to obtain abortions, and for men and women to obtain contraceptives. After more than a month of internal -- and eventually public -- debate, the administration unveiled regulations that, if enacted, would provide stronger protections for doctors and other healthcare providers to refuse to perform medical procedures -- or, possibly, sell contraceptives -- if such steps violate their religious beliefs. Jill Morrison, the senior counsel of the National Women's Law Center, told Countdown to Crawford when we reported on the draft regulation in...

Birth-control pills could screw up a woman's ability to sniff out a compatible mate, a new study finds. While several factors can send a woman swooning, including big brains and brawn, body odor can be critical in the final decision, the researchers say. That's because beneath a woman's flowery fragrance or a guy's musk the body sends out aromatic molecules that indicate genetic compatibility.

Kay Pharmacy in Grand Rapids, Mich., looks like any other pharmacy. But ... some things are not for sale: condoms and other forms of birth control. Owner Mike Koelzer sent a letter to his customers in 2002, advising them that he would no longer be filling prescriptions for contraceptives. "I was and am willing to lose the business in order to not be a part of something I don't agree with. ...While the number of pharmacies that refuse to sell contraceptives remains relatively small... Brian Bundy is one of those pharmacists. That's why he was fired from a pharmacy in...

Professor James Trussell, a well recognized expert on contraceptives, told attendees of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service conference "The Pill is an outdated method because it does not work well enough. It is very difficult for ordinary women to take a pill every single day..." Though he did not intend to, his statement in some ways vindicates those who argue that the net impact of the pill has been an increase in unwanted pregnancies and abortion. The push to use multiple methods of contraception, along with Trussell's statement, is in part an admission that, at the population level, contraceptive programs...

A Challenging Truth, Part Two: The Day the Birth Control Died February 12, 2008 "Everyone does it, so what's the big deal?" Taking the pill, getting "fixed", getting a shot of Depo-Provera...there's a myriad of choices for contraception. The expectation in today's modern society is that everyone uses artificial birth control at some point in their lives, be they married or not. Right? Many years ago, I would have agreed with all of the above. I was not a rebellious Catholic, just an ignorant one. But the guilt of my ignorance rests on more shoulders than just mine. I was...

Canberra, Australia (LifeNews.com) -- A British-based abortion business that operates abortion centers internationally admitted on Tuesday that women in Australia are getting pregnant and having abortions despite the use of birth control. Abortion advocates have long claimed that the advocating contraception is better than abortion limits in reducing abortion figures. However, Marie Stopes International released a report Tuesday showing that more than half of women who have an unplanned pregnancy were using birth control at the time. Some 43 percent were on oral contraceptives when the pregnancy occurred and another 27 percent reportedly used a condom at the time. MSI...

CNSNews.com) - A conservative civil liberties group said it will proceed with a lawsuit against the Portland, Maine, School Committee for refusing the reconsider its policy on prescription contraceptives for middle school students as young as 11. "This is an issue where the rights of parents must be protected," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which specializes in constitutional law. "This is not only bad public policy but a violation of state law that simply cannot be ignored. There is tremendous outrage and disgust over the Committee's usurpation of parental responsibility to...

CHICAGO (AFP) - Women who use oral contraceptives are at increased risk for developing hardened arteries, a condition that can lead to heart attack or stroke, according to a study released Tuesday Belgian researchers found that women who had used the hormones were more likely to have plaques, or a buildup of fatty tissue, on their arteries than women who didn't use this form of birth control. Atherosclerosis, or furring of the arteries, typically occurs with age. Complications include heart attack or stroke, which occur when unstable pieces of plaque break off and block a blood vessel leading to the...

Students who have parental permission to be treated at King Middle School's health center would be able to get birth control prescriptions under a proposal that the Portland School Committee will consider Wednesday. The proposal would build on the King Student Health Center's practice of providing condoms as part of its reproductive health program since it opened in 2000, said Lisa Belanger, a nurse practitioner who oversees the city's student health centers. If the committee approves the King proposal, it would be the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to some students in...

UNICEF Among Sponsors of New Campaign Promoting Abortion US, Canadian government development agencies among participants in campaign By Samantha Singson NEW YORK, October 4, 2007 (C-FAM.org) - A new global initiative was launched by various UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in New York last week that includes a call for legal abortion. Among the sponsors of the initiative called "Deliver Now for Women and Children" is the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), a UN agency that persistently denies they support abortion in any way, shape, or form.  Marketed as a campaign to raise awareness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)...

From The Times September 12, 2007 Taking the Pill cuts the risk of cancer Nigel Hawkes, Health Editor Pill plus HRT may bring cancer risk | Decade of Pill use doubles risk of cervical cancer Taking the Pill reduces the risks of a woman getting cancer later in life, according to one of the largest studies ever undertaken. The conclusion will reassure millions of women who took the Pill 30 or 40 years ago and are now of an age when the risks are growing. The study found that overall cancer risk was up to 12 per cent lower...

BRITAIN, September 13, 2007, (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study conducted by individuals at the University of Aberdeen and recently published in the British Medical Journal claims to reassure women that taking oral contraceptives will, in fact, reduce their risk of getting cancer.  News services throughout the world are touting the 'medical breakthrough' that supposedly shows that "the cancer benefits of oral contraception outweigh the risks." In reality, the true facts of the study portray a very different result for the millions of women worldwide who use oral birth control.  According to the TimesOnline, the British study reportedly found that,...

Environemental Organizations Generate Green Guilt to Push More Population Control Want everyone to become "eunuchs for the green kingdom" by Colin Mason Front Royal, Virginia, August 27, 2007 (pop.org) - If asked what function the San Francisco-based Sierra Club performs, most of its 1.3 million members would probably reply "protecting the environment," or "raising awareness of endangered species," or words to that effect. Yet, in their 2007 legislative report for Minnesota, the Sierra Club spent nearly 3 pages describing legislative initiatives that have virtually nothing to do with the environment. Rather, this section deals almost exclusively with population issues or,...

Guatemala Bishops Reject "Post-Abortion Care" Plan as Doorway to Abortion Ministry initiative would train medical personnel to use suction machines on women in "post-abortion situation" By Elizabeth O'Brien GUATEMALA CITY, August 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday the Bishops Conference of Guatemala rejected a "post-abortion care" initiative by the Ministry of Health, pointing out that it would provide a direct opening towards abortion and other abuses of women, CatholicNewsAgency reports. In a document criticizing the World Health Organization's anti-life policies, the bishops also warned against the Ministry's "care" campaign, saying, "Our Constitution protects human life from the moment of conception." They...

UN to Award Global PR Firm for Indian Population Control Condom Campaign Program was joint project of USAID and health ministry of Indian governmen By Hilary White NEW DELHI, August 22, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The United Nations has offered its "Grand Award" for achievement in public relations to a US-funded campaign to boost condom sales in India. The campaign, called "Condom Bindaas Bol" (Say Condom Freely), was a joint project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the health ministry of the Indian government. The campaign was meant to convince Indians that the word "condom" was not...

Kiss federally subsidized collegiate promiscuity goodbye. Prices for birth control are going to increase a lot for college students. That has CNN deeply concerned. Higher prices for birth control? Oh, the humanity.That’s because deficit reduction legislation has changed how much the federal government pays to underwrite contraceptives. Costs for the pill and patch have gone up enough, apparently, for college students to consider anything except abstinence. “[Stephanie] Davidson [a Columbia University student] worries that these students will have to choose between food, books, and birth control,” said CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen on the August 22 “American Morning.”The report was...

DUBLIN, August 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An Irish woman has died of a blood clot after taking the birth control pill for several years. Her family and an investigating doctor have publicly attributed her death to the use of the contraceptive.On March 22 of last year, 31-year-old Julie Hennessy was found dead on the floor of her living room, Ireland Independent reports. Although she was a non-smoker of healthy weight, the woman had been taking the drug Mercilon for a number of years. This resulted in her developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition in which a blood clot...

House Democrats narrowly passed a measure yesterday to provide contraceptives to overseas organizations that had been banned from receiving foreign aid because they provided or promoted abortion. The amendment to an important antiabortion measure in the House foreign aid spending bill was a rebuke to President Bush, who has strictly opposed providing any assistance to groups that promote abortion. The Reagan-era measure, known as the Mexico City policy, was fiercely protected by Bush, who has issued two veto threats over the foreign aid bill should Democrats attempt to alter any of the antiabortion measures it contains.

WASHINGTON - The House will cast a landmark vote Thursday when it decides whether to reverse U.S. policy and provide contraceptive grants to groups overseas that also provide abortions. The legislation states the U.S. cannot deny assistance to any group so long as it includes funding for contraceptives. President Bush has threatened to veto the measure, and Republicans say they have enough support to uphold the veto. In the face of stiff opposition to the plan, Democrats drafted an amendment that would restrict the aid to U.S.-donated contraceptives. The bill would help "reduce unintended and high-risk pregnancies, and abortions ....