Religion & Contraception (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

What are contraception & family planning?

What is family planning?

• Family planning, or contraception, allows a couple to have sexual relationships without conceiving a child

  • It helps couples control the number and spacing of their children

• In the UK and other Western countries, contraception is very common 

  • It is estimated that around 90% of sexually active people of childbearing age use some form of contraception

• People may use contraception for several reasons

  • To protect the health of the mother

  • To avoid the financial pressures of a larger family

  • To maintain a good standard of living for existing children

Types of family planning — Artificial methods

• Artificial contraception refers to medical or technological methods that prevent conception

• Barrier methods: male and female condoms, diaphragms and caps

• Hormonal methods: combined pill, progestogen-only pill, contraceptive injections and implants

• Intrauterine devices (IUDs): placed inside the womb to prevent pregnancy

• There are also emergency contraceptive pills (the “morning-after pill”), which work by delaying ovulation or preventing a fertilised egg from implanting in the womb

• However, these do not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

• Condoms are the only method that can both prevent pregnancy and protect against STIs, such as HIV/AIDS

• Some artificial methods, such as IUDs or the morning-after pill, may prevent a fertilised egg from implanting

  • For this reason, some people refer to them as abortifacients because they can bring about an early abortion

• Artificial methods can generally be used without much planning and by couples in any type of sexual relationship

Types of family planning — Natural methods

• Natural family planning (NFP), or fertility awareness, involves avoiding sex during the most fertile times in a woman’s monthly cycle

• This can be done by:

  • Monitoring the woman’s body temperature or cervical mucus

  • Using devices that measure hormone levels in urine

• If used correctly, natural methods can be up to 94% effective

• They require careful planning and self-discipline, as couples must abstain from sex at certain times of the month

• Natural methods do not involve drugs or devices, and they carry no risk of early abortion, but they also do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Christian attitudes to contraception

• Contraception is difficult for Christians to agree on because the Bible gives no direct rule 

  • The Bible was written before modern contraception existed

• Some Christians point to Biblical commands encouraging procreation 

• They believe this teaches that preventing conception goes against God’s will for humanity to create new life

• Christians might also refer to teachings about the sanctity of life, arguing that all life, including potential life, is precious and should not be prevented

• Others say contraception can be a responsible way to protect health and plan family size so parents can properly care for their children

• Most Christians agree that family planning is acceptable when it is used to promote love, health and stability, but they disagree over which types are morally acceptable

• The main differences in attitude are between Roman Catholics and other Christians (including Protestants)

Roman Catholics and contraception

• The Catholic Church teaches that sexual intercourse is a gift from God. It has two God-given purposes

  • Unitive: to deepen the love and unity of husband and wife

  • Procreative: to be open to creating new life

• These two purposes must not be separated

  • Therefore, artificial contraception is forbidden because it deliberately prevents conception and goes against the natural purpose of sex

• In 1968, Pope Paul VI reaffirmed this teaching in his letter Humanae Vitae, stating that every act of sexual intercourse must remain open to the possibility of life 

• The Catholic Church also teaches that Christians should practise responsible parenthood by deciding on the number of children to have and when to have them

• Only NFP, which uses awareness of the woman’s fertility cycle, is permitted to achieve this

• Catholic teaching about family planning is based on Natural Law, a moral theory developed by Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic priest and philosopher

• Aquinas taught that humans should live in harmony with God’s purposes in creation, which he described through five primary precepts

  • Preserve life

  • Continue the species through reproduction

  • Educate children

  • Live in an ordered society

  • Worship God

• To help human beings understand the five primary precepts, Aquinas also identified secondary precepts, practical rules that follow from these principles

  • The second primary precept suggests that humans must reproduce

  • A secondary precept might be that using contraception goes against God’s command to humans to “be fruitful and multiply”, and therefore interferes with Natural Law

• For this reason, the Church takes an absolute view: Natural Law must always be followed, and the deliberate prevention of life is never justified; it is morally wrong

• The Church also warns that artificial contraception can encourage promiscuity and weaken family life

• Some methods, such as IUDs and the morning-after pill, may act as abortifacients

  • This conflicts with Catholic beliefs about the sanctity of life

• Despite official Church teaching, some Catholics today follow their conscience, believing contraception may be the most responsible and loving choice in certain situations, such as protecting the mother’s health or avoiding severe financial hardship

Protestants and contraception

• Most non-Catholic Christians accept contraception as part of responsible parenthood

• The Church of England, in its 1930 Lambeth Conference, stated that using contraception within marriage can be morally acceptable when couples use it with care and prayerful thought

• Protestants generally believe that:

  • Sex is for love, intimacy and mutual support, not only for reproduction

  • Contraception helps to ensure that children are wanted and well cared for. Using it responsibly raises the standard of living of all children, as families are smaller

  • The Bible does not forbid contraception

• Christians may use the principle of agape (selfless love) or situation ethics to guide their moral decisions: the most loving action might be to use contraception to protect health or prevent disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS)

Muslim attitudes to contraception

• Although Islamic teachings were written long before modern contraception existed, Muslim scholars apply the principles of the Qur’an and Hadith teachings to help Muslims make moral choices today

• Islam teaches that life is sacred and that children are a blessing from Allah, not something to be feared or avoided

• Because of this, some Muslims believe that preventing conception interferes with Allah’s plan, as only he has power over life and creation

• The Qur’an also teaches that believers should trust Allah to provide for their families, so avoiding pregnancy purely for financial reasons is discouraged

Methods of contraception in Islam

• There are no direct references to modern contraception methods in the Qur’an

• The Hadith suggests that early Muslims sometimes practised coitus interruptus (withdrawal)

• The Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) response showed that Allah ultimately determines whether a life comes into being

• Other Hadith records show that the practice was known and not forbidden, which suggests that contraception can be acceptable under certain conditions

• Many Muslims say that temporary and reversible forms of contraception are permissible within marriage, provided both husband and wife agree

• Muslims may use contraception when there is a good reason, for example:

  • If another pregnancy would threaten the mother’s health or life

  • To space children so that parents can care for each child properly

  • If there is a risk of genetic illness or disability

  • For financial or emotional reasons, if the couple cannot yet support a child

  • If the couple are not yet ready for parenthood

• The Qur’an supports responsible parenting, recognising that neither parent should be overburdened

• Contraception may therefore be permitted as long as:

  • It does not cause physical harm

  • Both partners consent

  • It is used within marriage, not to avoid responsibility outside it

• Permanent methods, such as sterilisation or vasectomy, are generally rejected because they remove the possibility of having children altogether, which contradicts the Islamic belief that procreation is part of Allah’s purpose for marriage

• Having children is considered a key purpose of marriage in Islam. It follows the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who was married and had a family. Strong families are believed to bring stability and moral strength to the ummah 

• Therefore, while Muslims recognise the need for family planning, they also believe that every child is part of Allah’s divine plan and that raising children in faith is an act of worship