“Another serious side-effect common to both spermicides and condoms is pre-clampsia, an abnormal condition of pregnancy, beginning around the 20th week, in which a woman suffers from high blood pressure. This condition occurs in 5% to 7% of pregnancies, with treatment ranging from bed rest to sedatives and antihypertensives. 535 Until recently the cause of pre-clampsia remained unkown “despite 100 years of research by thousands of investigators”.536
An indication of why pre-clampsia occurs in certain categories of women has been suggested by two articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1989).537 538 It was reported by researchers that women who had used barrier methods of contraception (spermicides, condoms) up to one month prior to pregnancy had a 2.4 times greater risk of developing pre-clampsia. This is a 140% greater risk. The association of immediate pre-pregnancy contraceptive practice with pre-clampsia occurrence has allowed for an unravelling of the complex but interesting reason for this medical condition. The precise biological mechanism leading to pre-clampsia is explained by Prof. Rahwan:
“… Barrier contraceptives…prevent uterine exposure to sperm and seminal fluid [and] do not allow the female immunological system to develop gradual tolerance to male antigens on sperm and seminal fluid that would otherwise normally develop upon repeated exposure to these foreign antigens. As a consequence, a subsequent pregnancy in a female who previously used barrier methods of contraception will lead to an immunological attack against the (foetus) which carry the sperm antigens to which the female was not previously exposed as a result of the barrier contraceptive. The resulting maternal immunological attack against the invading placental tissue (which originates from the conceptus) results in placental damage and liberation of vasoactive substances (including prostaglandins) that may be responsible for the early onset of labour in these patients.”.539
This disruption to the ‘delicate balance’ of the naturally occurring hormones which are responsible for the control of blood pressure leads to a dominance by the hormones which cause blood vessels to constrict. When blood vessels constrict, there is an elevation in blood pressure which in the pregnant woman is known as pre-clampsia. Given the complexity of the biochemical interactions, it is understandable that the explanation and the link with recent use of spermicides has taken so long to establish.
In summary: the view that barrier methods are safe or dependable has no basis in fact. Pregnancy, disease (both minor and serious) and significant medical conditions are clearly attributable to the use of spermicides and condoms. The propagation of contrary views is an erroneous activity devoid of any rational underpinning. As such, the current public health policy on reproductive and sexual health stands condemned for its promotion of spermicides and condoms as positive health options. It is time for a serious and honest reappraisal of the evidence by government health regulatory authorities.
[pages 135-136, A Consumer’s Guide to the Pill and other Drugs, by John Wilks B.Pharm. M.P.S]
Common sense calls: God made us a certain way, and it just makes sense that when we live contrary to His intentions, bad things will happen. As I read the passage above from the book, I was impressed with the logic of it all: we can’t go against God’s design without serious, far-reaching consequences. God made sex to happen a certain way, and we go against that at our own peril, non-believers and believers alike.
He did not make sex with the assumption that we would introduce into this sacred act condoms, spermicides, pills, etc. to “control” it all. No, He made sex for procreation. Duh. I wish I could scream this out to all Christians who claim to love Christ but live a lifestyle of, well, basically sexual perversion with their spouses. I know what I just said sounds extreme, and is totally counter-cultural; but, might it be true? I think it is. Time to get back to how God originally intended us to live . . .
truthathome.wordpress.com 
I really didn’t know this and had always thought that barrier contraception was the least worse option. But the fact is that any contraception is in very clear violation of God’s intention for sex.
The purpose of sex is first and foremost procreation and although obviously not every sexual act results in conception, to try to prevent that when it might otherwise happen is clearly wrong.
A man using a condom is in reality simply using his wife as an aid to masturbation and a woman who uses any form of contraception is actively denying God’s purpose for her body.
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Susanne, great comment!
As a woman who used to use contraception, I can testify to the fact that I did indeed feel that I was “an aid to masturbation” for my husband, as loving and kind as he was/is. A man who uses his wife’s body for pleasure, but does not accept the natural God-given function of her body, is basically rejecting his wife. Many people deny this, but they are not thinking logically. Logical thinking requires that we go back to God’s original design and intention for us; it requires that we go back to Creation; and it is there that we see a man and a woman brought together by God for the purpose of procreation and taking dominion over the earth, which doesn’t fit at all with our culture’s evil “sex for personal fulfillment” ideology.
Jessica
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To me it seems a little bit extreme to NEVER use ANY form of contraception. But i think it is beautifull to live this lifestile if the couple agrees on it and if the marriage is a happy healthy christian relationship plus the woman is granted health. I admit i didnt had the bravery or faith to totally give this area in Gods hand. But i also never received any teaching like yours, Jessica. Hope this encourages young couples.
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Thank you for the compliment, Ruth!
What defines “extreme”? Extreme by society’s standards, or extreme by God’s standards (as described in the Bible)? Is there anywhere in the Bible that you can point to, where God specifically condones and supports contraception? Not some general “be responsible” verse, but a specific command or at least an allowance? And not some verse about complete abstinence in times of sickness or injury or intense prayer; but, a verse that allows for the use of contraception while continuing to have sex, as is common in our society?
I’ve found plenty of verses that tell us that God is in control of the womb and human conception. I’ve found plenty of verses that say that God considers many children a blessing (not just for the financially well-equipped, but for anybody). And I’ve found plenty that say that God sends infertility as a curse (not always, but as a generality). I think the main hindrance toward a biblical understanding of this issue is not because the issue is unclear (it is not), but because we are unwilling to read what the Bible says on this issue and accept it without argument. We exalt our own human reasoning over God’s.
Maybe you don’t see it that way, and that’s okay. However, I think that if you were to study this topic from an entirely biblical perspective, you would most likely come to the same conclusion as I have.
No hard feelings…just my opinion. 🙂
Thanks for participating in this discussion!
Jessica
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Jessica i agree with you. In my experience i was offten VERY afraid to become pregnant again for quite a while. The reason for this was the constant tiredneß for my babies generally had hard nights. Together with the terrible morning sickness i always get it seemed unbearable to ‘risk’ another pregnancy. There where other reasons to relared to my husbands work situation.
But for the last few years i changed my mind for i was given the privilige to meet several families who where totally’pro life’.
I now understand better how God meant it all. Your posts are VERY helpfull too.
Sadly i had my tubes tied after my sixth baby in 2015. The doctor told me that he highly recomends it for health reasons.
But now i feel so great that i start to wonder if i made a grave mistake. Especially since my husband would love more babies. Im 37 now there would yet be time for a couple more kids. I am starting to think in the direction to go and try to undo it again and see what happens. But we’ll see.
It is clear tough that gynecologists who often have the blood of aborted babies on their hands should never be the only adwise giver in such far reaching questions.
So Jessica i sincerely hope your posts will be read by many and will help to get us christians focused on what God intended marriage and family to be. Love Ruth
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Thank you for that explanation, Ruth. I understand about having fears, believe me! I don’t think that having more than the “average” amount of babies is easy for any of us! It really is something that requires we “walk by faith.” I pray that God will give you and your husband wisdom to know whether to seek a reversal.
Jessica
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Surely it is extrem to use contraception !
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Extreme lack of faith ,sorry. -But one can improve.
Love Ruth
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Hello dear Jessica, I LOVE this post !!!!!!!! I am so sad about all these Christian married people who don’t live fully their sexual life because of ignorance about God’s original design for sex and procreation, and because of the big lack of sound teachings in this area. I fully join my heart to your inner scream 😉
I would just correct something : “He made sex for procreation” is too short. He made sex for a couple of purposes (one of them being procreation) and if any one of these purpose is intentionnally rejected, it makes sex perverted.
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Thanks, Caro!
It is so nice to have other ladies join me in the anti-birth control movement, which I am convinced is evidence of the stirring of the Holy Spirit in our time.
You’re right, that God made sex for more than procreation. The way I see it, procreation is the primary purpose for it, while all other purposes are secondary to the first. As an example, I point to God’s first command to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply.” Biologically, the purpose of sex is mainly for procreation; everything works together during the sex act in an intricate manner to facilitate the sperm joining the egg and preparing for a possible pregnancy. The body does not know when we are having sex “just for fun”; it assumes that if we are having sex, it must be for the purpose of creating a baby, and therefore works to it’s fullest ability to cause a baby to be conceived, if at all possible. Even though sex does not always result in a pregnancy, we must, just like our bodies, always assume the potential for it.
Why do our bodies work so relentlessly toward the goal of achieving a pregnancy? Why this biological obsession with creating babies? Obviously, it is because God wanted to ensure our survival. He made sex so that we would have babies. And he made sex pleasurable so that we would do it; otherwise, we would care so little for our own well-being that we would never have sex at all.
During the process, the husband and wife are emotionally bonded, as well. This is a secondary outcome, an expression of their love and a strengthening of that love at the same time. So, even if no pregnancy results, sex does function as a “bonding agent” for the two of them, a sort of emotional “glue” that helps hold them together. Song of Solomon, for instance, does not seem to have procreation in mind as much as it does the relationship of the husband and wife (however, neither does it deny procreation as a natural function and outcome of sex). So, I am not denying or down-playing the role that sex has in establishing the emotional intimacy of the couple; I am simply saying that the procreation part is the primary function, while the pleasure part is the secondary function. Therefore, you are right, that my answer was too short; I hope my amplification of the subject serves to clarify my view. I do appreciate you pointing that out to me!
Thank you,
Jessica
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That is so well put. Of course the physical intimacy and pleasurable sensation of sexual intercourse is hugely important in bonding a couple to help them join in bringing up their children and in enjoying life together.
These are aspects of sex, but its purpose in God’s design is procreation and to use any artificial means or take any positive steps to prevent conception is directly against that purpose, that design and a perversion of the purpose of the act.
For any Christian woman to practice contraception or to actively participate in it is very clearly against God’s design for us as women. However difficult inconvenient, unfashionable or un feminist as a Christian wife we have absolutely no right to reject or avoid the gift of life in our womb.
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Another thought that came to me just now, is that if we were to flip the equation around, and put the pleasurable part of sex before the procreation part, then we have made it into something mainly selfish, and will ultimately view children as “getting in the way” of our sexual gratification. So, of a necessity, the procreation part must always come first; pleasure and bonding, second.
Jessica
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That’s not to say that we must always “try” to get pregnant every time we have sex; but, we must always be open to it as a potential outcome (as you [Susanne] mentioned before).
Jessica
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HOW did western Christians become so controlling. Here we are, never had better medicine,never had more wealth,never had better social care (if needed) but yet we dont want too many children. As i pointed out on my comment above i NEVER received any teaching you give on your blog untl a few years ago.
I cant turn the clock back but i will Point this out to my children if the time comes.
To our defense of using birth control for years i d’ like to add that we always carefully watched(to our best knowledge) not to use anything that would allow a baby to be conceived but then still kill it (like the spiral,copper and hormon ,does).
At the time i used birth control i was very thank full for it but i can now see what we where missing out on. -The experience of TRUSTING our Lord and surely the blessing of more children.
It is the society we live in,it makes ist way into our churches teaching and in many a persons faith life.
Only a few even notice it.
How sad.
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Ruth: Good to know that you were careful to not use any sort of abortifacient. If only ALL Christians would do the same–if that was the least they did, if they stopped using anything that could kill a newly-conceived baby, that would be a great improvement from where we are now. It would still not be where we should be, but at least it would be a start. From there, we could continue the process of elimination by getting rid of all barrier contraceptives, surgery, and NFP. Of course, ideally, we would simply get rid of everything all at once.
“At the time i used birth control i was very thank full for it but i can now see what we were missing out on. -The experience of TRUSTING our Lord and surely the blessing of more children.
It is the society we live in, it makes its way into our churches teaching and in many a persons faith life.
Only a few even notice it.
How sad.”
Well said.
Jessica
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Oh Jessica I so agree. I think we should come to regard all hormonal contraceptives as poison and surgical sterilisation as an assault to that both could be abolished.
I think of paramount importance is to teach our daughters that God created them to be mothers and our both sons and daughters that unless they want to create a child they should not have sex.
Contraception changes sex from the union of husband, wife and Our Lord as the creator of life, to a pleasure serving recreational sin.
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You’re absolutely right about that, Susanne!
The more I learn about contraception, the more I hate it. I’ve now come to see at as evil–a result of the twisted machinations of Satan himself, and totally opposed to God’s plan for us. This certainly isn’t the socially-accepted view of it! But, I believe it is the only view a Christian can honestly take.
Jessica
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I think increasingly Christian couples are seeing contraception for the evil that it is. Not just because of the way it perverts the purpose of sex in marriage but also because of how it leads very directly to all forms of sexual sin and especially to promiscuity.
God designed us as women to value and preserve our modesty and chastity because the consequences of sinful sex outside marriage and irresponsible sexual obsession in marriage was pregnancy with lifelong implications.
Men have become over sexualised by the acceptance of masturbation and the expectation of consequence free intercourse.
Hopefully in time all Christian congregations will come to see abortion and contraception as equality evil and unacceptable.
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I totally agree! Thank you, Susanne!
Jessica
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Can I add that because God gave women the honour and responsibility of motherhood, sexual sin is unique in its seriousness and as such any Christian society the Church and even the law has every right to impose an obligation on women to behave in accordance with God’s design for us and do everything possible to prevent that sin.
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I’m sorry to labour this point and it’s probably because I am very much hoping to conceive. However I do think sexual morality it is absolutely fundamental to Christian womanhood. That Christian woman should be held to account because of their God given role as mothers and that sex outside marriage, all forms of birth control and abortion should all be regarded as putting a woman in a place where only God can forgive.
Equally I think we do need to teach our sons that to endulge their sexual desires in any way which falls outside of the marriage bed is to give way to Satan. Boys may naturally want to masturbate or fornicate but they should be taught from puberty that it is wrong, evil and serving only of Satan.
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Again, another brilliant post!
However, I feel like a failure in this instance, I fully admit to that. But I also know the woman I was is not the woman I am today. As you know, Jessica, I am in the process of being saved and btw getting ready to be Baptized on Easter Sunday!!!! YAY! But my life was nothing Christian to say the least for MANY years. I still use the pill, but mainly because I have Hashimoto’s Disease and am in the beginning stages of Menopause. But, I know now this is just an excuse, and I know my husband would LOVE to have a baby with me (we each have one from our first marriages), but I’ll admit my selfishness and resentment to the abuse I received from my first husband put me in place of fear and lack of trust in everyone, including God 😦
BUT, knowing that I am in a place now where my heart is so full of light and joy, getting off the pill and just letting go and letting God do what He knows best would be amazing. But my husband is still reeling from my salvation back into Christianity, and is not happy AT ALL with it. How does one like me who’s husband (although we truly do love one another), cannot understand nor support my decision to come back to Jesus, allow myself to submit to my husband regarding natural planning, especially since he does not fully “admit” to believing in the Natural God? I feel so lost, honey. So lost. I’d do anything to have my marriage be full with Jesus and His words. Please pray for us…
Love,
Bridget
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Dear Bridget,
I’m so happy to hear that you are going to be baptized! Great news!
“…you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10
I think it’s interesting that these verses say that Jesus “delivers” us, not that He “will deliver” us. It is not something that is in the future tense, but in the present. His Coming is set for a future date, but His deliverance is something that happens now, for each and every one of us who believes in Him.
I say this with some hesitancy, but it is nevertheless something I think is important to tell you: I asked God to give me a verse for you, and the one I quoted above is what I believe He wanted me to share.
Here’s a passage that might help to answer the question you brought up: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel–rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” 1 Peter 3:1-6
I don’t know how I could even add to that!
My thoughts are these: with God, we have no need to fear anything! True, not everything will turn out to our liking. Not everything will be what we expected; it might be a lot harder and a lot more painful than we expected. But, if we believe God, we know that behind everything He allows to happen to us, there is a plan.
You might not ever have another chance to give your husband a baby: why not take it before it’s too late? In addition to being the clearly-stated will of God for marriage, it would also be a beautiful way to show him just how much you love and trust him as your husband, and that might influence him to open his heart to the Lord, too.
What does Jesus have planned for you? You never will know if you let fear control you. There was a reason He spoke to you, and I’m sure it wasn’t so that you would shrink back from His will. No, He wants you to plunge ahead with your hand in His, to experience that abundance of life He has in store for you. Expect miracles to happen in your marriage. Maybe not in your timing, but in His; never give up hope!
Have a wonderful afternoon! 🙂
Jessica
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P.S. I am praying for you!
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I do pray for you it must be unbearable difficult. I don’t believe that any woman should ever use contraception under any circumstances but we also have an obligation to submit to our husbands under God.
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Exactly. I’ve heard people say women tend to have it easier. I’d love to ask them to write an essay on how that is true!! Ha!
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Bridget: I am certainly no medical expert! But, here is something about healing thyroid issues that looks interesting:
thethyroidsecret.com
Please know that I sympathize with your situation. I do think that using the pill is wrong (it has the potential to abort a newly-conceived baby). If there were a natural way to manage your disease, would you try it? I am not familiar with the disease you mentioned, but I don’t want to underestimate its impact on your life. Considering if you should stop using the pill for the treatment of your condition is a serious decision which should be approached with much study and prayer, while consulting with your husband. Obviously, whatever treatment you seek for Hashimoto’s, it may or may not work, and it may or may not have side effects. And the same goes for getting off the birth control pill. Just as there are risks associated with its use (breast cancer, cervical cancer, blood clots, abortion, etc.) there may be risks associated with not using it (if you have been using it to regulate your hormones). All of life is filled with risks. We simply choose a certain set of risks over another set of risks. To my way of thinking, the risk of disobeying God through using birth control is a moral decision, not just a medical decision. Therefore, there is the eternal to think about, and not just one’s present convenience. Following Jesus is a commitment that sometimes leads us down paths that are scary. But, since He is our Good Shepherd, we know that whatever happens, He holds our hand.
Jessica
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Aww sweetie thank you for all your comments. You are right about everything here. It’s a major decision. I do trust God, but yikes, it’s a fear I’ve never had before xoxo
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I recommend this book for further study:
(A Consumer’s Guide to the Pill and Other Drugs)
Jessica
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Thank you sweetie! I appreciate you SO much!
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You’re welcome! And here’s another useful site I forgot to mention:
http://thepillkills.org/pillkills.php
Jessica
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Thank you! Btw, I sent you an email 🙂
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Hello Jessica, I appreciate your work on the use of contraception. My wife and I use condoms, and we are believers in Christ. If we drop the use of condoms, how do we space our children. Besides, we have four children and we want to stop at that number. How then do we prevent pregnancy without the use of condoms?? Please help urgently.
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