ON CONTRACEPTION AND ABORTION

The Reproductive Health bill has raised a storm of arguments in favor and against its provisions. The controversy revolves around the argument about killing the unborn as well as in controlling population. The Pro-Lifers lumped the concepts of contraception and abortion as one of murdering the fetus. Those in favor of the RH Bill distinguish between contraceptives and abortifacients, as well as favor sex education in order to inform couples about how to plan their families.

For me, the most important feature of the Bill is its concern for the health of mothers by offering options to control childbearing and limit the number of economically supportable children without resorting to abortion or the use of abortifacients. One basic argument against abortion raised by a bishop is the commandment “thou shalt not kill.”

I took the liberty of extracting verbatim from the internet, mostly from Wikipedia, the following information in order to support the viewpoints I shall raise at the end of this blog:


“ABORTION is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of a fetus or embryo from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced, in humans and other species. In the context of human pregnancies, an abortion induced to preserve the health of the gravida (pregnant female) is termed a therapeutic abortion, while an abortion induced for any other reason is termed an elective abortion. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages.

“An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion.

“Medieval Muslim physicians documented detailed and extensive lists of birth control practices, including the use of abortifacients, commenting on their effectiveness and prevalence. The use of abortifacients was acceptable to Islamic jurists provided that the abortion occurs within 120 days, the point when the fetus is considered to become fully human and receive its soul.

“CONTRACEPTION - Intentional prevention of conception or impregnation through the use of various devices, agents, drugs, sexual practices, or surgical procedures.

“The available methods of contraception may be classified in many ways. For the sake of this discussion, traditional or folk methods are coitus interruptus, postcoital douche, lactational amenorrhea, and periodic abstinence (rhythm or natural family planning). Barrier methods include condoms (male and female), diaphragm, cervical cap, vaginal sponge, and spermicides. Hormonal methods encompass oral contraceptives and injectable or implantable long-acting progestins. In addition, the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) and sterilization (tubal ligation or Vasectomy) are also part of the contraceptive armamentarium.

“ONANISM - From the biblical name Onan: In the Book of Genesis, Onan, son of Judah, in fulfillment of the laws of levirate marriage was to impregnate his brother Er's widow, Tamar, in order to raise offspring from the union in his brother's name. In order to avoid raising descendants for his late brother, however, Onan spilled his semen on the ground when he went in to his brother's wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. (Genesis 38:9). Thus the word Onanism was coined, meaning ejaculating outside the vagina [during intercourse; (the performing of) coitus interruptus], or masturbation (because this also spills semen, rather than using it for procreation).

“To understand conception, it is helpful to know about female reproductive system and the menstruation cycle. A female is born with about 400,000 eggs in their ovaries. The female body begins to ovulate during puberty. About once a month, several eggs mature, and the lining of the uterus has been building and has become thick to act as a “nest” for the egg to implant. Then an egg is released from the ovary. If it is not fertilized within 12-48 hours, it disintegrates. Approximately 2 weeks later, the thick lining of the uterus is shed, and you begin menstruating. Your next menstruation cycle then begins again.

“Ovulation is the release of the matured egg from the ovary. In response to a hormonal signal, the follicle (holding the egg) bursts open and frees the egg - this is when you ovulate. Ovulation typically occurs around 14 or 15 days from the first day of the female's last menstruation cycle. Once you ovulate, the ovum (egg) travels into the fallopian tube and is receptive to fertilization by a sperm.

“Once you ovulate, this is the most fertile period for the female body. This is the time when conception can occur, and you are most likely to become pregnant. Since the egg has been released (i.e., you ovulated) and is available for fertilization, if a female engages in unprotected intercourse, fertilization and conception can occur. A female is most fertile during ovulation and can become pregnant from unprotected sexual relations that took place anytime during this fertile period - basically, from the 5 days before ovulation to 1 day afterwards.

“Conception occurs after the female’s egg is fertilized by a male’s sperm. After sperm are ejaculated in the vagina, they swim through the cervix and into the Fallopian tubes, where fertilization and conception usually takes place. Once a single sperm has penetrated the egg, conception has happened as the genetic material from the sperm and the egg has merged into a single nucleus (called a "zygote").

“Medical experts (e.g., the FDA and the American Medical Association) agree that the establishment of a pregnancy takes several days and is not completed until a fertilized egg has implanted in the lining of the woman's uterus. A woman is considered to be pregnant once the implantation of the zygote has occurred.

“Human fertilization is the union of a human egg and sperm, usually occurring in the ampulla of the uterine tube. It is also the initiation of prenatal development. Scientists discovered the dynamics of human fertilisation in the nineteenth century.
“The process of fertilization involves a sperm fusing with an ovum—usually following ejaculation during sexual intercourse. It is possible, but less probable, for fertilization to occur without sexual intercourse, artificial insemination, or In vitro fertilisation. Upon encountering the ovum, the acrosome of the sperm produces enzymes which allow it to burrow through the outer jelly coat of the egg. The sperm plasma then fuses with the egg's plasma membrane, the sperm head disconnects from its flagellum and the egg travels down the Fallopian tube to reach the uterus.

“The egg and the sperm bind through the corona radiata, a layer of follicle cells on the outside of the secondary oocyte. Fertilization occurs when the nuclei of a sperm and an egg fuse. The successful fusion of gametes form a new organism.

“Where the spermatozoon is about to pierce, the yolk (ooplasm) is drawn out into a conical elevation, termed the cone of attraction. Once the spermatozoon has entered, the peripheral portion of the yolk changes into a membrane, the vitelline membrane, which prevents the passage of additional spermatozoa.

“The acrosome reaction must occur to mobilise enzymes within the head of the spermatozoon to degrade the zona pellucida.

“After binding to the corona radiata the sperm reaches the zona pellucida, which is an extra-cellular matrix of glycoproteins. A special complementary molecule on the surface of the sperm head binds to a ZP2 glycoprotein in the zona pellucida. This binding triggers the acrosome to burst, releasing enzymes that help the sperm get through the zona pellucida.

“Some sperm cells consume their acrosome prematurely on the surface of the egg cell, facilitating the penetration by other sperm cells. As a population, sperm cells have on average 50% genome similarity so the premature acrosomal reactions aid fertilization by a member of the same cohort. It may be regarded as a mechanism of kin selection.

“Recent studies have shown that the egg is not passive during this process.
“Once the sperm cells find their way past the zona pellucida, the cortical reaction occurs: cortical granules inside the secondary oocyte fuse with the plasma membrane of the cell, causing enzymes inside these granules to be expelled by exocytosis to the zona pellucida. This in turn causes the glyco-proteins in the zona pellucida to cross-link with each other -- that is, the enzymes cause the ZP2 to hydrolyse into ZP2f -- making the whole matrix hard and impermeable to sperm. This prevents fertilization of an egg by more than one sperm.

“After the sperm enters the cytoplasm of the oocyte, the cortical reaction takes place, preventing other sperm from fertilizing the same egg. The oocyte now undergoes its second meiotic division producing the haploid ovum and releasing a polar body. The sperm nucleus then fuses with the ovum, enabling fusion of their genetic material.

“The cell membranes of the secondary oocyte and sperm fuse.

“In preparation for the fusion of their genetic material both the oocyte and the sperm undergo transformations as a reaction to the fusion of cell membranes.

“The oocyte completes its second meiotic division. This results in a mature ovum. The nucleus of the oocyte is called a pronucleus in this process, to distinguish it from the nuclei that are the result of fertilization.

“The sperm's tail and mitochondria degenerate with the formation of the male pronucleus. This is why all mitochondria in humans are of maternal origin

“The pronuclei migrate toward the center of the oocyte, rapidly replicating their DNA as they do so to prepare the embryo for its first mitotic division.

“The male and female pronuclei don't fuse, although their genetic material do. Instead, their membranes dissolve, leaving no barriers between the male and female chromosomes. During this dissolution, a mitotic spindle forms between them. The spindle captures the chromosomes before they disperse in the egg cytoplasm. Upon subsequently undergoing meiosis (which includes pulling of chromatids towards centrioles in anaphase) the cell gathers genetic material from the male and female together. Thus, the first mitosis of the union of sperm and oocyte is the actual fusion of their chromosomes.

“Each of the two daughter cells resulting from that mitosis has one replica of each chromatid that was replicated in the previous stage. Thus, they are genetically identical.

“The term sperm is derived from the Greek word (σπέρμα) sperma (meaning "seed") and refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell. The human sperm cell is haploid, so that its 23 chromosomes can join the 23 chromosomes of the female egg to form a diploid cell. A uniflagellar sperm cell that is motile is referred to as a spermatozoon, whereas a non-motile sperm cell is referred to as a spermatium. Sperm cells cannot divide and have a limited life span, but after fusion with egg cells during fertilization, a new organism begins developing, starting as a totipotent zygote.

“The spermatozoa of animals are produced through spermatogenesis inside the male gonads (testicles) via meiotic division. They are carried out of the male body in a fluid known as semen. Mammalian sperm cells can survive within the female reproductive tract for more than 5 days post coitus.

“The sperm cell consists of a head, a midpiece and a tail. The head contains the nucleus with densely coiled chromatin fibres, surrounded anteriorly by an acrosome, which contains enzymes used for penetrating the female egg. The midpiece has a central filamentous core with many mitochondria spiralled around it, used for ATP production for the journey through the female cervix, uterus and uterine tubes. The tail or "flagellum" executes the lashing movements that propel the spermatocyte.

“Motile sperm cells typically move via flagella and require water in order to swim toward the egg for fertilization. These cells cannot swim backwards due to the nature of their propulsion. The uniflagellated sperm cells (with one flagellum) produced in most animals are referred to as spermatozoa, and are known to vary in size.

“Sperm quantity and quality are the main parameters in semen quality, which is a measure of the ability of semen to accomplish fertilization. Thus, in humans, it is a measure of fertility in a man.”

From the information presented above, there is nothing to “kill” even if the sperm and the ovum has united but has not been implanted in the womb/uterus. The “establishment of a pregnancy takes several days and is not completed until a fertilized egg has implanted in the lining of the woman's uterus.” Contraception is the process of preventing the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus or womb. Surprisingly, “the use of abortifacients was acceptable to Islamic jurists provided that the abortion occurs within 120 days, the point when the fetus is considered to become fully human and receive its soul.” But that is Islam and not Catholic Christianity.

It seems that the position of the Pro-Lifers is that sexual intercourse is not for pleasure but to propagate humans. However, the pleasure attained during the sexual union is an expression of love – the uniting of two bodies into one at the moment of orgasm. The expression of mutual ecstasy at that moment is almost equivalent to ecstasy in uniting with GOD. As well, the Pro-Lifers consider the union of the sperm and the ovum, outside of the womb or uterus, as already a fetus and should not be eliminated. (I wonder what the stand of the Pro-Lifers on rape. If a daughter is impregnated by a rapist, will the Pro-Lifer parent decide to have the bastard survive?)

Without the sex education and the various options presented by the RH Bill, the methods insisted by the Pro-Lifers – Rhythm method and abstinence (!?) – can result to overpopulation and economic hardships to most of our people. (Sometimes, I am puzzled why some of the wealthy are beset by the problem of infertility, while the very poor who cannot afford large families are very prolific.) I am tempted to assume that the Catholic Church cannot accept any method that “wastes” sperms through the use of condoms, or masturbation, among others. What about the “wastage” of those unfertilized ova washed away during menstruation. And those sperms “wasted” via “wet dreams”?

The recent controversy involving the use of the condom, supposed to be acceptable to the Pope, also gives a questionable twist to the stand of the Catholic Church. It seems prostitution is tolerated so long as condoms are used in the exercise of the profession. The issue is raised to prevent the spread of disease. But is not the RH Bill also concerned with the same issue: health?

Another point I would like to raise: is respect for Life only reserved for humans?