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Title: Bishops on birth control: a chronicle of obstruction. Author: Shannon D. Journal: Conscience; 1991; 12(6):14-7. PubMed ID: 12178852. Abstract: The Catholic Church historically has obstructed birth control by various means, e.g., encyclicals, the posturing of the US Catholic Conference and state Catholic organizations, and by bishops and upper hierarchy in the church. The desire is to see the law reflect the Catholic teaching that sexual intercourse is permitted only within 1 marriage, and no sex act may include an attempt to prevent conception. The activities undertaken by the Catholic Church between 1920-86 to ban contraception are discussed. It is anticipated that the expected papal encyclical will only reiterate more harshly and loudly this ban, and the result will be a further rift between Catholic behavior and Catholic policy. In addition, if the bishop's would support a sensible and realistic policy approach to reproductive health, it is possible that unintended pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases would be reduced. Instead the bishops are part of the problem. For example, the following actions are noteworthy examples. 1) In 1921 the New York Archbishop and his secretary contacted the police in advance of Margaret Sanger's proposed speech to publicly discuss the morality of birth control, and the arrest was made. 2) In Massachusetts the church campaigned in the 1930s-40s to prevent repeal of state laws which barred dissemination of birth control information. 3) The Archdiocese of Hartford legal counsel led successful opposition to ease restrictions on birth control between 1941-654. 4) The church fought against soldiers' use of condoms in World War II. 5) The National Catholic Welfare Council in 1942 attached Planned Parenthood (PP) as packaging passion. 6) Catholic charities blocked funding for PP and dismissed Catholic doctors affiliated with PP. Nonetheless, by 1972 91% of Catholics used illicit contraceptive methods. Church policy turned to public opposition of publicly funded family planning. Title X of the Public Health Service Act passed despite opposition, but the 1991-92 bishop's legislative agenda includes opposition to reauthorization of Title X and school-based clinics and RU-486 or abortifacients. Contraceptive research funding has been opposed for many years, with the result that only 1 remaining drug company conducts new contraceptive research and Title X programs are underfunded objections pointed out were that natural family planning method improvements were excluded as well as reproductive biology.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]