NEW YORK — A United Nations population report calling for global contraceptive access has drawn fire from doctors and pro-life advocates who say the funding would be better spent preventing maternal deaths.
“A push to increase spending on contraceptives in developing countries by the United Nations Population Fund is at best misguided and at worst harmful to women and families,” Dr. John Brehany, executive director of the Catholic Medical Association, told Catholic News Agency Nov. 15.
On Nov. 14, the United Nations Population Fund released its annual report on the “State of World Population.”
This year’s report — titled “By Choice, Not By Chance” — links family planning to international development, declares it a global “right” for women and calls for the removal of any social and financial obstacles to it.
UNFPA included some population-control advocacy and depicted access to family planning as a “sound economic investment.” It also claims that the use of contraceptives will “improve” global health.
Brehany countered, however, that oral contraceptive pills “negatively impact women’s health in significant ways — by increasing the incidence of breast cancer, strokes and STDs.”
He also pointed out that an article in the January issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that the use of injectable contraceptives in Africa has been shown to double the risk of HIV infection.
“Women’s greatest needs,” Brehany said, “are for education and health-care resources for prenatal care, safe childbirth and general health. Providing resources for natural methods of fertility awareness and regulation are not only cheaper than artificial contraceptives; they are better for women’s health and for the stability of marriages.”
The UNFPA report summary said family planning is “almost universally recognized as an intrinsic right” that should be “available to all.” It said family planning should be promoted as “a right” which enables “a whole range of other rights.”
Wendy Wright, an official at the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute and the former head of Concerned Women for America, called this “ludicrous.”
“The U.N. doesn’t have the authority to declare contraception a human right, but particularly an agency of the U.N. doesn’t have the right to declare something a human right; it debases the entire concept of human rights to declare a commodity or a product a human right,” she said in a Nov. 15 interview with CNA.
“The U.N. hasn’t declared food a human right and yet we need food to survive. So it's ludicrous to think that contraception would be a human right when the most necessary items for survival have not been considered human rights.”
The Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute's president, Austin Ruse, said that “it is precisely such debasement of authentic human rights which puts people in the developing world in grave danger. Human rights are about freedom of religion, democratic self-determination, freedom of assembly.”
Wright considers the UNFPA’s claim that “its products and services should be universally available and paid for by others” to be “crass self-interest.”
She also pointed out that “many countries are experiencing depopulation. Sadly, the UNFPA does not recognize the current status of the world’s population and that the most serious problems are ones of depopulation, not overpopulation.”
The report further claims that meeting the need for family planning for its estimate of 222 million women who lack it would cost some $8.1 billion every year.
Wright said that in light of the current fiscal crisis being experienced by most nations, “Right now seems to be a bizarre time for UNFPA to be claiming that its pet project ought to be getting an additional $8 billion a year.”
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How can contraception be “almost universally recognized as an intrinsic right” when it is banned or frowned upon in so many countries and/or cultures?!? Talk about megalomania!
Did anybody notice that Russia is opposing this effort to impose contraception on the world by the UN? Cardinal George pointed this out recently, the reversal of the USA and Russia on defending Christian values.
Thank you for the informative article. We need to be clear with the words we use. Contraception involves the use of a material or chemical that is foreign to human bodies. Family planning involves no chemicals or materials (beyond a thermometer that isn’t invasive to the human body) and is accepted by the Catholic Church. I believe in this article that family planning was occasionally used instead of contraception.
Natural Family Planning is taught to those that are illiterate. NFP is effective, safe, easily affordable, and respectful of all life. People can learn family planning and pass it on to future generations instead of being stuck with a needle and not understanding what it really is.
“According to Doctors…” Very few “Doctors,: indeed very few people would agree with your statement. Very misleading wording. Visit India and China and you will see the need for contraception.
Forty years ago my husband and I moved to West Africa for 2 years to teach, hired directly by the school and living on the same wage and in the same conditions as those “poor people” in that “underdeveloped” and “war-torn” country. I was taking contraceptives at the time but had to re-think my position when our houseboy asked me repeatedly if it was those pills that kept me from having a baby. He would ask me, “Madam, don’t you want a baby?” And I had to find an answer for myself. The women of that country modeled the dignity of motherhood and I came home pregnant never to take the pill again—now with an authentic freedom to choose that was based on repeated reflection.
Our houseboy married and they had 6 children, one died of sickle-cell anemia. The family lives in humble conditions but have their dignity—and their priorities—in tact. His children are happy and have the education their parents worked to provide. They are joyful—happier than most North Americans.
I learned that contraception does not facilitate community, which has its beginnings in happy families; rather, it facilitates ego centric attitudes that de-value human life at all stages. The last thing poverty needs is the loss of dignity associated with the equivalence of sterility and the loss of the freedom to find joy and purpose in giving life.
PS There are no STDs in that small community.
Some things never change. The UN Population Fund is at it again using the same argument for eugenics and population control. Today, however, it its presented under the guise of women’s rights, whereas in the early 1900’s it was overt. Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger sat with Adolf Hitler on this same UN committee. This powerful group led to forced sterilization laws in 46 US states, which were implemented until the 1950’s. As the argument supporting contraceptives is the same argument used back then, it continues to marginalize t the lower income and poor, under the assumption that their primary interests revolve around sex. This is another assault on women, men, and three family.. This is another initiative to degrade humanity in an attempt to create the utopian society within their own terms. .God help us.
Artifical contraception is not a right, it is an intrinsic evil.
Natural Family Planning is the only moral way.
Tricia ,
The US sterilizations were still occurring into the 1960’s.North Carolina’s refused to compensate the victims.
(I’m NOT the same “Kathleen” as the previous poster.)
Tricia. What does sterilizations occurring in North Carolina cerca 1960’s have to do with NFP vs. the pill, etc? Forced sterilization’s are also an intrinsic evil. I am not sure of your point other than not being me. Please clarify.
Kathleen regarding NC. Thank you. I agree it took sometime before the 46 states changed the laws. Today, the arguments for contraception, etc. are the same as back then. It is tyranny in my opinion. Time to focus of nullification-the tenth amendment. I am insulted by the so called movement for women’s rights. I suspect you feel the same.
Kathleen,
My post was in response to another Kathleen, regarding an earlier post I made regarding the UN Population Fund mentioned in the article. In the early 1900’s this same group believed that one did not have the right to bear children unless one was born into an aristocratic family. They believe that Catholics, Jews, Slavs,those with psychological illness within their family, to name a few, should not be allowed to raise a family. Charles Darwin, his cousin Francis Gaulton, Adolf Hilter, and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger were all supporters of this movement. Thus the evolution of Planned Parenthood, birth control, abortions, and forced sterilization.
My earlier post reads as follows: ......... Some things never change. The UN Population Fund is at it again using the same argument for eugenics and population control. Today, however, it its presented under the guise of women’s rights, whereas in the early 1900’s it was somewhat covert. Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger sat with Adolf Hitler on this same UN committee. This powerful group led to forced sterilization laws in 46 US states, which were implemented until the 1950’s. As the argument supporting contraceptives is the same argument used back then, it continues to marginalize the lower income and poor, under the assumption that their primary interests revolve around sex. This is another assault on women, men, and the family. This is another initiative to degrade humanity in an attempt to create the Utopian society within their own terms. God help us…......Kathleen hope this helps…..it is important to know history so we do not make the same mistakes again….see the Catholic television network’s (EWTN) shows on G.K. Chesterton who in 1905 wrote on this subject extensively as a devout Catholic. He is probably the most prolific Catholic Author - see his books ” Eugenics and other Evils”, and “What is Wrong with the World.”
Bill Sockey POSTED on Saturday, Nov 24, 2012 10:23 AM (EDT):Did anybody notice that Russia:
Bill Sockey, Russia is below replacement birth rate to such a dramatic level that they even tried paying women to have babies. Women will never have babies for money under these circumstances. It has never worked in the other countries that are literally sliding off the face of the earth because of lack of people. Russia fears its military arsenal will get into the hands of jihadists. Communists have made no attempt to renounce their stance that perpetuates destruction only.
Dr. Angela LanFranchi, president of the Breast Cancer Prevent Institute, is well received in her travels to foreign countries giving lectures on the risk of birth control pills. How many women chastise themselves for never knowing the facts of the many consequences in using birth control pills. Even in this great country of ours, this information is not politically correct and is blacked out. Dr. LanFranchi is a member of the Church. Her message does not even get into the U S bishops’ parochial schools. Only 10% of the teacher in these schools follow the Catholic teachings against birth controlling. Why isn’t Dr. LanFranchi invited to be a guest speaker at the claimed ‘Catholic’ universities and colleges in this country that often give the platform to pro-abort politicians? (Abortion is necessary for failed methods of birth controlling.)
Joe: I had not heard about Russia, but I do know that Sweden and France have been dealing with the problem of a negative birth rate for several years. The economic implications are staggering. thanks for the note about Russia…very scary.
Tricia - Jim Mosher* of the Population Research Institute had a map several years ago of the 60 plus countries in an irreversible decline due to lack of people. Japan’s economic decline is a good example. Surprisingly, China is recognizing the consequences of their forced one- child per family policy. The U S maintains replacement rate level only because of the Spanish population. Consider: In the U S bishops’ parochial schools only 10% of the teachers follow the Catholic Church teachings on birth controlling.
*http://www.pop.org/about/our-president-803
Read this important information over looked by the environmentalists:
Women on Contraceptive Pill Should Pay $1,500 a Year More Tax
“.....The basic problem is that the hormones in the pill itself, the hormones which produce the desired contraceptive effect, then end up in the sewage system as part of the normal function of kidneys and bladders in human beings. Those hormones are then not captured by the standard sewage treatments and end up being released into the fresh water of the area. Where they are believed to cause sex changes in fish:..”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/06/03/women-on-contraceptive-pill-should-pay-1500-a-year-more-tax/
Joe:
Thank you for the information, much appreciated. In return, you might enjoy; The Forgotten Men website http://www.forgottenmen.com and their fb page, as well as the Tenth Amendment Center with authors Tom Woods, and Kevin Gutzman. These sites are off topic with regards to contraception, yet they speak to freedom and tools for liberty. These authors are well aware of what is going on globally. thank you again
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