5/25/99

     In her recent column, Susan Reimer encourages mothers to take their adolescent daughters for early pelvic exams, to enable them to receive prescription birth control pills (BCP’s), in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The wisdom of advocating these medications for our young daughters must be examined.

     First, the BCP’s are notoriously less effective among the adolescent population. Given a failure rate of 11% per year the cumulative probability of a girl becoming pregnant while on the BCP from age 14 to age 23 is 69%. This statistic is verified by pro-abortionists, including Planned Parenthood abortion statistician Dr. Christopher Tietze, who said that "within ten years, 20 to 50% of pill users...may be expected to experience at least one repeat abortion."

     Second, life threatening risks due to BCP’s include thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, hypertension, and cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis, all dramatically increased with smoking. A new analysis of all studies to date on BCP’s, due to be published this summer, reveals an undeniable link with breast cancer. The BCP’s offer no protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STD). One of the most rapidly growing STD’s, genital warts, is a direct cause of the increasing incidence of cervical cancer in the female population. The BCP increases the chances of contracting genital warts due to its hormonal suppression of immune defenses in the female reproductive tract.

     Third, BCP’s work by two distinct methods. First, they sometimes prevent ovulation, and therefore prevent conception. Second, they interrupt the normal build up of the uterine lining. When an egg is released and it is fertilized, it cannot implant in the womb. When this occurs, it is clearly an early chemical abortion, and the BCP is acting as an "abortifacient." Most BCP’s are abortifacient from 10 to 20% of cycles, while the mini-pill, Norplant and Depo-Provera are almost exclusively abortifacient. These issues are rarely discussed with a patient. Even "pro-life" Christians are often unaware of these early abortions due to BCP’s, because their pastors feel the issue is too controversial, and their doctors fail to inform them.

     What loving parent would encourage their child to embrace this dangerous lifestyle? The solution is to teach abstinence before marriage, fidelity after, and openness to new life within marriage. Because abstinence/fidelity is the only solution that works in real life, it is the only realistic solution as well. It has worked for centuries of Christian family life. If instead of facilitating a sinful, dangerous lifestyle, we have the courage to teach our children right from wrong, it can work again.

Scientific and medical documentation of all facts noted above are readily available, and I would be happy to forward them if necessary.