Contraception

Contraception is considered a sin because it denies both the unitive and procreative aspects of sexual union. Contraception adds an artificial element to a natural, loving act, and in doing so, it removes God from the act of procreation.

At the same time, the Catholic Church does NOT say you must have sex only to have children. The Church advocates the use of Natural Family Planning to regulate pregnancies:

Periodic continence [abstinence], that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality. These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. (Catechism 2370)

Humanae Vitae: A Challenge to Love
by Janet E. Smith
Available here is Dr. Smith's explanation of why Humanae Vitae was right and why contraception is wrong. Smith is a foremost authority on the Church's teaching on contraception. Lux Veritatis and Donum Sanctum are pleased to offer her writing here.

Humanae Vitae: 30 Years Later
A look at Pope Paul VI's 30-year-old encyclical in light of Archbishop Charles Chaput's recent pastoral letter on the document. Paul VI made four predictions in his encyclical. Thirty years have proved him right.

In Defense of Natural Family Planning

Why I Chose Natural Family Planning: A Personal Testimony
Some religious and non-religious reasons why NFP is the best method of planning a family. It's here in a first-person true account.

A Look at the Words: Abortion, Contraception
Words alone often say a lot. The words abortion and contraception are no exception. Here, we take a look at the words themselves, the Latin roots, and the ways people are trying to change terminology.

A Confession about Contraception

Future Articles

Contraception: Unitive and Procreative Destruction

The Link Between Abortion and Contraception

Fertility and Illness: When do you take a pill?