birth control

Question from Stefan Schreiber on 2/7/2008:  
I have a question about the "pill". I know that the Catholic Church is against it, but there are 2 cases in which I was wondering where the Church stands.

1. What about women who take the pill not for birth control, but for other reasons? My aunt was taking the pill because she bled heavily when having periods and the pill was used to clot it. She was in her 40s when she started taking it. But the pill too did her harm, it was one of the resons she had a clot in her brain and for the stroke. But anyway is the pill ok for medical issues such as this?

2. What about prevention? I am not talking about young adults, but those who have children who have already had a pregnancy in high school and they do not want their kid to get pregnant again. I know that the parents should be teaching their kids about intercouse, but the fact remains that kids are more influenced by their friends than their parents or the tv. So what would a parent do in this scenario?

Thank you, Stefan Schreiber
Answer by Judie Brown on 2/7/2008: 
Dear Stefan

The pill is usually not a good idea even if the reason to take it is a health problem. I recommend that you read the document written by Dr. Paul Hayes, an obstetrician/gynecologist. It is entitled "Birth Control Pills for Medical Reasons" and is located at http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10162

"Prevention" is not a reason to provide the birth control pill to anyone. Your argument regarding a child who is influenced by her friends rather than her parents does not give parents the right to provide the pill. There is a deeper problem in the scenario that you are describing.

The young woman needs to master her self-respect, for therein resides the ability to say no to sex before marriage.

Judie Brown