Why nuns should go on birth control
A lifetime of abstinence may make nuns susceptible to certain forms of cancer, but contraceptives could lower their risk significantly
The use of birth control in the Catholic Church is typically frowned upon. But a new article published in the journal The Lancet makes the bold argument that nuns should take birth control pills to reduce their risk of cancer. Here, a brief guide to the issue:
Why would nuns need special protection against cancer? Good question. According to the study, lifelong chastity comes with a “terrible price,” says Margaret Hartmann at Jezebel. The medical term is called nulliparity — a condition that results from never having children. Its “terrible consequences” can include an “increased risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers.”
Find out more about how and why birth control pills could help a sister out at The Week.
Photo: CC by vas vas
Maybe the vow of chastity is overrated. Didn’t the apostle Paul write his apprentice Timothy that leaders should be good parents, such that if someone couldn’t manage their own house, they couldn’t really manage God’s house?