Online Video: Noted Endocrinologist Explains How the Birth Control Pill Causes Abortion

LifeSiteNews ^ | 8/3/07 | Elizabeth O'Brien

[wagglebee]

 OTTAWA, August 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - During the Humanae Vitae Conference "A New Beginning" last year, noted endocrinologist Dr. Maria Kraw explained how many so-called contraceptives actually result in fertilization and end in the abortion of a new human person during its early development.

Introducing her topic, the "Medical Consequences of Contraception," Dr. Kraw began by stating that she refrains from using the word "contraception." This is because it implies solely the "prevention of conception," whereas in reality many so-called contraceptives result in a myriad of other harms, including abortion.

As a practicing endocrinologist (hormone doctor) at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Kraw focused mainly on the effects of hormonal birth control. Artificial hormonal birth control works by introducing artificial estrogen and artificial progesterone (progestins), at 4 to 10 times the dosage naturally produced by the body. These dangerously high levels trick the brain into thinking that the person may be pregnant and cause ovulation to stop.

The pill also prevents conception by thickening the cervical mucous so that the sperm can't reach the egg. If this doesn't work, the pill prevents the implantation of an already fertilized egg. This occurs when a new human person has already been conceived, Kraw stated, but after the artificial hormones have thinned the uterus lining. "So rather than sort of snuggling into a nice nourishing uterus to continue development," she explained, "the uterus is hostile and the embryo is discarded."

Most pills are combined hormonal pills with both artificial estrogen and artificial progesterone. The progesterone-only pills, however, do prevent fertilization, but work primarily by thinning the uterus lining. Depo-provera, for example, is a progestin that is injected every three months and strips down the lining of the uterus. Similarly, the intra-uterine device (IUD) causes "inflammation and scarring of uterine lining," thereby preventing implantation

Barrier methods such as condoms, sterilization, diaphragm and spermicides work by aiming "to prevent a meeting of the sperm and the egg." Nevertheless, statistics published by Family Planning Perspectives note an extremely high percentage of "reproductive failures", i.e. pregnancy. The birth control pill has a 12.9% pregnancy rate; condoms have an incredibly high 23.1% pregnancy rate, diaphragm 20%, depo-provera 4.2% and spermicide 25%.

"Given on average the amount of months that a woman uses artificial birth control during her reproductive years," said Kraw, "which is a majority in the reality of North America, there will be 1.8 'reproductive failures' per woman's reproductive life."

According to previous studies, only about 50% of pregnancies in the US are intended, Kraw stated. "Among those that reported unintended pregnancies, 50% said they were using a form of artificial birth control properly at the time of the conception. So it's not like, 'Oh I was on the pill, but I missed it for a week because that wouldn't be considered being on the pill."

Finally, 50% of those "reproductive failures" end in abortion.

If abortion is defined as "any interruption in the normal development of the embryo," methods that "prevent implantation" are abortive. Breakthrough ovulation rates (fertilization occurs, but implantation fails), for example, can happen in up to one third of cycles on the pill. In combined hormonal birth control pills, this occurs from 1.7% to 28.6% per cycle, whereas with progestin-only pills, fertilization rates are from 33% to 65% per cycle.

These are relatively high rates, Kraw noted, considering that 80% of North American women have used a hormonal method for birth control by the time they finish their reproductive years.

Tragically, after discontinuing birth control, women also experience high infertility rates. Fertility rates are 26% lower after using birth control, and 29% lower after using the IUD. In addition, even the so-called "low-dose" pills cause a 2 to 6 times increased risk of blood clots throughout the body.

Kraw stated, "They started off using ten times the amount of estrogen-'We're really going to shut down that brain'-Well, what happened? Women died in the first phase trial of these medications, but they were in Puerto Rice so, (the attitude was) 'well…. we didn't really have medical ethics, so we'll just keep going and trying.'"

She concluded, "The problem is that this is still occurring even as the dose of estrogen has lowered itself to only about 4 times with the low-dose pills."

Dr. Maria Kraw: Medical Consequences of Contraception - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tKxWrNNCig

Dr. Maria Kraw: Medical Consequences of Contraception - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJYdfgjQdIc

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[trumandogz]

If this is the case, the pro-life movement and GOP candidates in order to be consistent would have to not only advocate the banning of abortion but also the use of birth control pills.

[WFTR]

If abortion is defined as "any interruption in the normal development of the embryo," methods that "prevent implantation" are abortive.

Not everyone defines abortion this way. While few people will say anything in forums because the vocal majority in most forums will react with anger and insults, many real folks out here in real life don't see this situation as abortion. I've read that a large number of fertilized eggs never implant anyway. Because of that, I don't believe that the unborn child is a person until implantation or possibly until a few days after implantation.

I couldn't care less when biological life begins. I care about when the embryo becomes a person. The law doesn't exist to protect biology. The law exists to protect people. I believe that around the time a woman can know that she is pregnant, the unborn child is (or almost is) a person. Therefore, I believe that any act that destroys a known pregnancy should be illegal unless there is some circumstance that justifies that killing. Until that time, I'm not bothered by birth control techniques that try to discourage implantation.

Bill

[Strategerist]

If this is the case, the pro-life movement and GOP candidates in order to be consistent would have to not only advocate the banning of abortion but also the use of birth control pills.

Fat chance of the latter.

[balch3]

contraception=abortion. End of discussion.

[flintsilver7]

This doctor is trying quite hard to blur the line between the “morning after pill” and typical hormonal birth control. Both are essentially hormonal birth control though the pill is different. The pill is not 100% effective because it doesn’t always prevent ovulation. While it is true that in rare cases women on the pill can experience failed pregnancies, that doesn’t mean the pill caused it. It’s important to note that failed pregnancies are actually quite common and the mother may not even know it.

[trumandogz]

If taking a birth control pill is the same as having an abortion than both should be considered the same killing procedure.

Therefore, if the GOP supports the use of birth control pill they are PRO ABORTION.

[flintsilver7]

OK, who here honestly believes that taking the birth control pill is the same as having an abortion? Anybody?

If you believe that, seek help. In 100% of cases, abortion takes a human life. In a minute percentage of cases, the hormonal birth control pill, results in taking a human life. There’s an enormous difference.

[trumandogz]

Where did you arrive at your minute percentage data?

[NittanyLion]

contraception=abortion. End of discussion.

Even barrier methods (e.g. condoms)?

[balch3]

exactly right, which is what they should be doing.

[nitzy]

I applaud you for expressing your opinion on such a heated topic in this forum but consider this......

I couldn't care less when biological life begins. I care about when the embryo becomes a person.

I agree. Primarily because I believe that people have individual souls given to them by God. These souls should be considered sacred and therefor should be protected by man.

The timing of the gift of the soul by God is where I call your interpretation into question. I highly doubt that God follows around each prospective mother, watching her every move to perfectly time the implantation of a soul. In your scenario the baby would not have a soul during the two to three week window between fertilization and when the woman would take a pregnancy test. To me, this belief seems contrived.

What if she would normally never take a pregnancy test until 1 week after a missed period but undergoes unrelated medical tests 1 week prior to her period in which the pregnancy is revealed? Will God have to keep track of our medical appointments in order to know when to schedule the soul implantation?

Without having any factual basis to determine or even guess at what point we receive our souls, I choose to err on the side of caution and advocate the protection of life at fertilization.

[flintsilver7]

I used logic. The birth control pill is designed primarily to prevent ovulation. Secondarily, it is designed to prevent sperm from reaching the uterus. Last, the pill serves to make the lining of the uterus unreceptive to implantation of the fertilized egg (this would be considered abortive). It’s well known that the pill is not perfect at preventing pregnancy.

The following steps must hold true for the hormonal birth control pill to be considered abortive:

1) The pill fails at preventing ovulation.
2) The pill fails at preventing the sperm from reaching the egg.
3) The woman is actively ovulating and fertilization occurs.
4) The pill prevents implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall.

Now, I’m pretty sure that even if a woman is ovulating and has unprotected sex with the intent of getting pregnant, it’s far from a certainty that pregnancy will occur.

You can do the math yourself, but it’s pretty easy to see that the cases where the pill can be considered abortive are extremely rare.

[Marie]

bfl

[MountainFlower]

THANKS for the thread! WOW!

[Borges]

If you take that step the next one would be to outlaw non-marital sex altogether.

[balch3]

and we can’t have our laws follow the Ten Commandments, can we? /sarc

[Borges]

So then laws against blasphemy, idolatry...