Monday, March 26, 2007
CANCER JOURNAL
I'm bringing it up again because I think the topic is important enough to keep front and center. What is a married Catholic or Orthodox woman of child-bearing years supposed to do when her oncologist tells her that her cancer treatment requires that she practice contraception?
Suggesting that she and her husband refrain from sex during the period does violence to the marital bond which is already strained by a diagnosis of cancer. The emotional support that the woman seeks in the arms of her husband is an important factor in her recovery. That emotional support naturally leads to sexual relations between a husband and his wife, particularly because death looms over both of them.
NFP is not an option because the same drugs that necessitate contraception also disrupt the menstrual cycle.
Are there any priests here who could address this topic?
