Mothering and birth control

A great article!

Time to Stop and Think?By Mrs. ChanceyApr 10, 2008 - 8:02:06 PM
Email this article Printer friendly pageFor years, chemical birth control (from "the pill" to "the patch") has gone unquestioned and uninvestigated in the wider press. After all, the FDA approves this stuff, so it surely can't hurt us, right? We here at LAF have posted dozens of articles exposing the dangers of the chemicals women so blithely ingest--dangers to the physical health of women, the reality of the abortifacient nature of many forms of chemical birth control, and even the hazards to the environment (drinking water, animals, and more). We've wondered how long it would take the public at large to wake up to what medical and scientific journals have been quietly reporting for years. It seems that day has come. This post provides links to many recent articles about the ugly truth behind the birth control industry. These aren't just commentaries; they come from scientific, legal, and health-related publications. Time to stop and think.

Man Sues Birth Control Company In Wife's Death ~ Note that, as tragic as this death was, it's wrong to hold others responsible when the fine print has stated from the beginning that these drugs can cause clots, strokes, and death. The drug maker should not be producing chemicals that kill while promising benefits, but consumers shouldn't be sheep, either. Read the fine print. Read the ingredients.

Birth Control Pill Linked to 20 Percent Higher Plaque Buildup in Arteries ~ "Women who take oral contraceptives may have more plaque buildup in their arteries, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Ghent, Belgium, and presented at a conference of the American Heart Association."

Death, Lawsuits, and the Pill ~ "To this day, the Pill and other hormonal methods remain some of the most popular contraceptives out there. It seems so easy and modern to take a small pill every day, or to get a shot or implant like Depo Provera or Norplant, or even to wear a patch like the Ortho Evra. But there’s definitely a dark side. Aside from the fact that these methods don’t protect against HIV and STDs, hormonal birth control increases one’s risk of many serious illnesses." [Note that we totally do not agree with the conclusions drawn by this writer. The obvious answers are staring us all in the face: abstinence and monogamy--no sex outside marriage--guarantee you'll be free of STDs. It's also a crying shame that, while women are waking up to the dangers of contraceptives, they are still totally closed to the idea of having many children and look for alternative ways to prevent them. We've posted many articles about the birth dearth across the Western world; time to wake up to it as well.]

J&J Hid Safety Risk Data on Birth-Control Device, Women Claim ~ The old cliche' "Follow the Money" applies here. It's already been shown that many FDA doctors are in the pay of the big pharmaceutical companies. Someone who gets paid to conduct scientific trials evaluating the potential harm of a drug should not also be in the pay of or receive benefits from the company that stands to profit from the sale of the same drug. There's a lot of finger-pointing going on here, but the main point is that both the FDA and the drug maker need to answer for their shoddy research and for pushing life-threatening chemicals on women.

Woman warns others not to use NuvaRing ~ "Misty Liebert had been using a new birth control product for three weeks when she awoke at 2 a.m. on March 22 choking and gagging. She dashed to the bathroom, lights still out, and began coughing up something in the sink. It came in waves. When she finally flipped the bathroom light on, Liebert realized it was blood."

Birth-control patch in the dock ~ "Lawyers for women suing Johnson & Johnson claim the manufacturer hid or altered data on the health risks of its Ortho Evra birth-control patch and flaws in the manufacturing." [ Be forewarned: This sidebar of this article has an immodest image of a woman applying the patch.]

Johnson & Johnson Looking to Ban Ortho Evra Lawsuits ~ " Court papers filed last November as part of Ortho Evra litigation underway in Ohio show Johnson & Johnson knew about Ortho Evra’s potential problems long before it informed the FDA. Despite such evidence of a cover-up, Johnson & Johnson is trying to convince Judge David A. Katz of Federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio that patients should not be allowed to sue the company because the FDA approved the patch and its label." [Follow the reasoning here? "I covered up the evidence and lied, and so-and-so believed me, so that means I shouldn't be held responsible, because everyone knows that so-and-so is trustworthy." No child would get away with it.]

New York Times Examines Johnson And Johnson's Pre-Emption Defense Over Safety Of Birth Control Patch ~ "The New York Times on Sunday examined Johnson & Johnson's use of the legal doctrine of preemption to defend against claims that the birth control patch Ortho Evra causes blood clots or other adverse effects. Under this legal argument, if a product's safety has been approved through a federal regulatory agency such as FDA, then its safety cannot be questioned in individual lawsuits."

Planned Parenthood hawks "free love" and encourages promiscuous sex for teens ~ This is another "follow the money" case. Planned Parenthood makes big bucks from teen pregnancy and from the pharmaceutical industry for pushing low-dose (read ineffective) chemical birth control. For a full expose' that includes extensive documentation, read George Grant's book, Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood. For another excellent article on Planned Parenthood's (mis)use of our tax dollars, click here.

Pharmacist loses appeal in birth control pill case ~ "Former Barron resident Neil T. Noesen lost a court battle last week to clear sanctions against him in a 2002 case where he declined to fill a birth control prescription because of his religious beliefs." [Dare to question the benefits of birth control or point out their abortifacient nature, and this is what happens to you in our free country. No room for a conscience here. Profit (disguised as "choice") must win the day.] Now, some may say this is one-sided reporting of risks with no mention of benefits. After all, the pill is supposed to offer increased protection from ovarian cancer, right? There are two problems here. First, the studies cited do not compare their results with women who began having children early (young 20s as opposed to 30s and later). Women who have children early and have more than one child are also less susceptible to ovarian cancer because of increased progestin production. Yet hardly anyone talks about the health benefits of early pregnancy and multiple pregnancies over time. Secondly, promoting chemical birth control use as a way to lower ovarian cancer risks is a little like recommending putting a loaded gun to your head and pulling the trigger as a sure cure for headaches. Sure, you won't have headaches any more, but, on the other hand, you'll very likely be dead. The health risks (all so well-documented above) of chemical birth control drugs and devices far outweigh this one benefit. If I knew a drug was 100% guaranteed to prevent ovarian cancer but had an equally high risk of causing blod clots, stroke, increased arterial plaque, heart attack, breast cancer, and death, would I want to take the drug or recommend it to my friends? Not on your life. It would be irresponsible to do either.When it comes down to it, we live in a culture of convenience. When we weigh health risks against convenience (less work, more time for me, more "freedom" to pursue what I want), convenience seems to win hands-down today: It would be too much trouble to have more than one or two children and take care of them, so I'll just take this pill to stop them (regardless of the health risks to me or others). It takes too much time to make meals from wholesome, fresh ingredients, so I'll just open this box and pop this processed food in the microwave (trans fats, MSG, and preservatives notwithstanding). It takes too long to save up for what I want, so I'll just take this "free" credit card and get what I want now. I can always pay later (20% interest be hanged). The time has come to stop looking for what's quick and easy and "free." Isn't it worth the time to do what's most important, what supports and promotes a healthy life, what takes our eyes off ourselves and puts them on others?With that in mind, here are some positive articles on the benefits that come with long-haul investments (pregnancy and breastfeeding)--benefits that no pharmaceutical company can replicate, no matter how hard it tries:

The Unexpected Benefits of Pregnancy ~ " Many women feel healthier than ever when they are expecting – and research is under way to find out why, reports Christine Doyle." [This has to rate as one of the most underreported stories of all time. There are a plethora of health benefits tied to pregnancy and breastfeeding, particularly for women who start families young and have many children. Read on below.]

How Breastfeeding Benefits You and Your Baby ~ " You're probably well aware that breast milk is best for your baby, but did you know that the benefits of breastfeeding extend well beyond basic nutrition? In addition to containing all the vitamins and nutrients your baby needs in the first six months of life, breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness. "

Extended breastfeeding: Are there still health benefits? ~ " The health benefits of breastfeeding do extend throughout the entire time you nurse. A longer duration of breastfeeding has been found to be directly associated with not only fewer infant illnesses, but subsequently, fewer toddler illnesses. "

Breastfeeding babies offers them long-term heart-health benefits ~ " Having been breastfed in infancy is associated with a lower average body mass index (BMI) and a higher average HDL (high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol ) level in adulthood, even after accounting for personal and maternal demographic and CVD risk factors that could influence the results. " Does pregnancy carry its own risks? Of course, but so many of those risks are self-induced by poor diet, lack of exercise, and a lack of information about how to have a healthy, full-term baby. And we need to remember that fertility is not a given. Even career-minded women are waking up to the fact that you can't put off child-bearing until it's convenient or until you feel like it. (The sobering book, Unprotected by Dr. Anonymous documents the folly of late marriage and delayed childbearing and shows decisively that this is one area of women's health not being covered on college campuses--even as the "hook-up" culture pushes women into senseless one-night stands that bring depression, anxiety, and disease.) We need to understand how God's commands protect us as well as benefit our families and others. The information is out there, and it is worth learning all we can about how our bodies work and what they were designed to do. When we work with that design instead of against it, the benefits are manifold. Isn't it worth taking the time to investigate these matters when our health and the long-term health of our daughters is on the line? Which will it be: short-term convenience or long-haul benefits from serious, thoughtful investment? Let's encourage more women to study these issues and learn the truth for themselves.