IN A MOVEMENT TOWARD THE ORGANIC AND NATURAL, THE CASE FOR GOING ALL-NATURAL WITH FAMILY PLANNING
by Maggie Helgeland
In late March, an uproar broke out when the distribution of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was suspended due to a few reports of blood clots being found in those who had been vaccinated. People took to the internet to shift the focus from the vaccine to the birth control pill as being guilty of causing blood clots. Given the popularity in use of hormonal contraceptives—about 842 million users, according to the UN[i]—one would think a risk factor such as this one would get more attention than it does. The National Blood Clot Alliance figures that, each year, the risk of blood clots would affect one in 1,000 women who are on the pill.[i] Dr. Andra James of Duke University comments on the link between estrogen—one of the prominent hormones found artificially in birth control pills—and blood clots, saying, “Estrogen does not cause blood clots, but it does increase the risk by several-fold. Birth control pills, the leading method of birth control in the United States, increase the chance of developing a blood clot by about three- to four-fold.”[i] Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are two types of life-threatening blood clots—sometimes leading to strokes and heart attacks—that have been linked to hormonal contraceptives. The cycle-tracking app, Clue, outlines the risk by stating, “People who use hormonal birth control methods that contain estrogen have a higher risk of blood clots in comparison to people who do not use hormonal methods.”[i] Forbes magazine published an article highlighting this issue and concluded with, “the risk of the vaccine has shone a light on the normalization of side effects linked to hormonal contraception. The pill is still the most popular form of contraception in the U.S. and UK. Some have said that the same concern given to the links between the COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots should be focused on hormonal contraception and women’s health.”[i]
This article in Forbes articulates an interesting point—why are risk factors of such a commonly-used pill overlooked for the sake of the convenience that the pill provides? Maybe more importantly, why does this method of birth control see such widespread use when it involves the ingestion of artificial hormones that can have detrimental side effects?
In a society with an increased utilization of organic and natural products and, likewise, the consumption of organic and natural foods, the use of artificial contraception ought to raise a few eyebrows. (To provide some definitions, according to Mayo Clinic, “organic” refers to “the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat.” “Natural” insinuates that the product “has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It does not refer to the methods or materials used to produce the food ingredients.”)[ii] The 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report claims that organic produce sales grew by over 14% in 2020[iii]—a significant increase from past years. While organic food sales saw an average growth by about 10% between 2010 to 2016, “increases have settled into mid-single digits since then,”[iii] but were still on the rise! Additionally, Kline & Company, a global consulting and research firm, conducted a study showing the number of consumers willing to pay top dollar for products they “perceive to be natural” is increasing, and the market for personal care goods that are deemed to be organic or natural is trending to be worth about $25.1 million in 2025.[iv]
Why do natural and organic products appear to be all the rage? To start with foods (plants and animal products), those labeled “organic” are generally produced sans all the synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, and hormones, providing more healthy fats and more antioxidants in some cases.[v] Using organic foods, you may eat your avocado and egg toast with peace of mind, knowing the tasty treat is free from any chemicals on the produce or hormones in the eggs. Thanks, organic farmers!
Moving onto beauty products—a haircare routine need not incite the concern of cheap chemicals seeping into the scalp because shampoos and conditioners are also being created organically, avoiding the insertion of sodium lauryl sulfate and other chemicals like it in the production process.[vi] George Driver, a writer for Elle, says the same goes for skincare: “Your skin absorbs whatever you put on it, so I follow the same philosophy for skincare as I would in my diet. There is simply no place for pesticides or unnecessary synthetics. It's not about being an ‘organic’ brand as much as it is creating the highest possible quality skin treatments that I am capable of.”[vii] So you can eat organic foods to your heart’s content, lather your hair with organic shampoo and conditioner (wash, rinse, repeat), even cover those pesky pimples with an all-natural foundation; and therefore, bypass the potential harms of absorbing synthetic chemicals or hormones into your body. But what about when it comes to birth control? Maybe you saved yourself from added hormones when you picked up that gallon of Organic Valley milk instead of the Land O’Lakes, but you could potentially get a blood clot from the “added” hormones in the birth control pill you took that morning.
Some may wonder, where is the alternative? If taking hormonal birth control can cause such issues, and we can produce food and personal care products organically, then how are we caring for women by providing them with contraceptive options without the health risks? Recognizing the need to build greater awareness surrounding fertility and brainstorm natural ways to avoid pregnancy, companies have been working to generate apps that assist women in the tracking and understanding of their cycles. When a woman logs data surrounding menstruation, cervical mucus, or basal body temperature (a person’s lowest body temperature at rest), these apps’ algorithms can make predictions as to when ovulation is likely to occur or where the fertile window sits in the woman’s cycle. Only recently was one of these apps approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be considered contraception. In 2018, “Natural Cycles,” was given clearance by the FDA as a method of contraception. The Natural Cycles app utilizes daily readings of basal body temperature (BBT)—taken by its brand-named thermometer, paid for by an annual membership fee—and charting of menstruation to provide its users information about when to refrain from having sex in order to avoid pregnancy. “…this new app can provide an effective method of contraception if it’s used carefully and correctly,” the FDA stated.[viii] In order for the app to gain the consent of the FDA, its effectiveness as contraception had to be proven. Based on a study done with over 15,000 women, Natural Cycles “was shown to be 93 percent effective with typical use.”[viii] Because the efficacy rate of Natural Cycles was only 93 percent, OB-GYNs were concerned that those women choosing to use it as a method of contraception would be frustrated with the results. The use of something like Natural Cycles in this context takes diligent practice of the routine that makes the app a success. One user of Natural Cycles found this option “out of necessity…Birth control pills were making me feel like total garbage—both emotionally and physically.”[viii] Other apps are following suit, and Clue—the aforementioned popular period-tracking app—just received the FDA’s approval in early March for its digital birth control feature. Similar to Natural Cycles, when this feature becomes a reality later this year, Clue will also be harnessing data about menstruation, cervical mucus, and temperature to predict the fertile window for users. “It personalizes over time. So as the individual puts in their cycle day one, then we’re able to personalize the window of their high-risk days verses their low-risk days,” states Clue’s chief medical officer Lynae Brayboy.[ix]
To explore the natural, health-risk-free options for avoiding pregnancy, we would be remiss to neglect the methods that have been around since the twentieth century, drawing life from a teaching that has been around for much longer. In 1966, the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control—a group made up of lay people and clergy convened by Pope John XXIII to discuss the Catholic Church’s teaching against the use of artificial contraception—concluded its three-year tenure, producing reports full of disagreements. To provide some clarity to the faithful all over the world on this matter, John XXIII’s successor, Pope Paul VI composed the encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” on the regulation of birth, wherein he appeals to scientists to “strive to elucidate more thoroughly the conditions favorable to a proper regulation of births.”[x] While this plea to find fitting methods of family planning was primarily meant to satisfy the Church’s statement that “there can be no contradiction between two divine laws—that which governs the transmitting of life and that which governs the fostering of married love,”[xi] the practices they contrived also protect users from any negative side effects of the pill or other forms of synthetic birth control.
Research discoveries surrounding the relationship between the time of ovulation and the first day of menstruation were used by Dr. Leo Latz to formulate what would be known as the “Rhythm Method” in the 1930s. At that time, the rhythm method was one of the most effective family planning techniques accessible;[xii] however, the honeymoon phase didn’t last long. Because the rhythm method did not account for women with irregular cycles, its efficacy rate was pitiful, which caused great frustration among the couples practicing it. Around the same time that the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control was meeting, doctors were working to develop more accurate natural family planning (NFP) methods. Drs. John and Evelyn Billings produced the first NFP mechanism to monitor and chart strictly changes in sensation of cervical mucus. This method, called the “Billings Ovulation Method,” was legitimized when the correlation was found between female reproductive hormones and the consistency (or lack thereof) of cervical mucus. The Billings method sees efficacy rates of higher than 99% in correct use and around 90% effectiveness in typical use in those trying to achieve or avoid pregnancy.[xii] About a decade later, Dr. Thomas Hilgers and his wife established a similar method, now known as the “Creighton Model Fertility Care System.” This method also involves charting the sensation of cervical mucus and is about 99% effective in correct use and about 96% effective in typical use. Research conducted by several doctors from the 1930s on found a relationship between basal body temperature and ovulation. The Sympto-Thermal method came about in the 1950s, and the first field trial took place in 1968. This method notes not only the correlation between BBT and ovulation, but it also asks for cervical mucus observations, as well as observations of the cervix itself.[xii] Being the most comprehensive method pays off, however, because sympto-thermal has a 99.5% effectiveness rate under correct use and 98% efficacy under typical use. This is similar to, but more complete than the methodology used by Natural Cycles and Clue. The average oral contraceptive is about 99% effective with correct use, but 90% with typical use.[xiii]
As exhibited above, the natural family planning methods are just as effective if not more effective than the birth control pill. While NFP may require more diligence at first, the habits necessitated by charting become routine, like brushing your teeth or washing your face. And, if it’s convenience you’re looking for, you can try out the Marquette Method—another form of NFP—which simply requires you to take a urine sample each morning and is 98.4% effective in correct use and 98% in typical use.[xiv] Although, those seeking out organic foods and natural beauty products are not at all choosing convenience—they’re choosing what they believe to be the more wholesome, healthier, option over all of the cheaper, easier options. Why is there not a greater emphasis on having the same mindset toward birth control?
Of course, the most obvious rebuttal of this argument must be the case that, while natural “contraceptives” such as Natural Cycles or the various NFP methods are, well, natural, they don’t allow for couples to have sex whenever they want, but they warrant an element of abstinence during the fertile window (which is when the woman’s sex drive is at its highest) while avoiding pregnancy. Surely, the foolproof way to avoid getting pregnant is simply to refrain from having sex altogether, but some couples may not be too fond of that concept. From the Catholic perspective, those couples choosing to practice NFP are embarking on a journey of deeper love and self-sacrifice, which in turn brings about better communication, and a greater understanding and appreciation of the marital act. All of this culminates to sanctify the couple. Through the secular lens, what is asked of couples practicing more natural forms of family planning is discipline. Simply put, too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing. If you really like chocolate cake, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat it for all thirty days of the month. Refraining from the sexual act during the fertile window gives room for other creative ways of showing affection toward one another and forming healthier habits in the area of self-control.
Threaded through all of this appears to be a fragmented view of concern for the body. If we care about our bodies insofar as we make the effort to seek out and purchase organic foods and natural products, why are we not doing the same when it comes to family planning techniques? The health risks of artificial birth control and the comparison in efficacy rates with natural methods speak for themselves. As voices call for greater concern aimed at women’s health and how hormonal contraceptives impact it, methods of NFP (and their trained instructors) are standing by with completely natural, hormone-free (and blood clot-free) alternatives to frequently used artificial contraceptives.
[i] Alice Broster, "What Are The Links Between Hormonal Birth Control & Blood Clots?" Forbes, March 27, 2021, accessed March 30, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicebroster/2021/03/27/what-are-the-links-between-hormonal-birth-control--blood-clots/?sh=6a69e8933db3)
[ii] "Are Organic Foods worth the Price?" Mayo Clinic, April 08, 2020, accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880)
[iii] Jessi Devenyns, "Organic Produce Sales Growth Tops 14% in 2020," Food Dive, January 21, 2021, accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.fooddive.com/news/organic-produce-sales-growth-tops-14-in-2020/593702/#:~:text=Dive Brief:,conventional produce sales rose 10.7%)
[iv] Shoshanna Delventhal, "New Generation of Consumers Increase Demand for Natural Products," Investopedia, August 28, 2020, accessed April 02, 2021, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/022217/study-shows-surge-demand-natural-products.asp)
[v] Amanda MacMillan and Julia Naftulin, "4 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Eating Organic," Time, July 27, 2017, accessed March 31, 2021, https://time.com/4871915/health-benefits-organic-food/)
[vi] "Benefits Of Organic Hair Product: Is It Worth Making The Switch?" AMR Hair and Beauty - Salon | Hairdressing | Cosmetics Supplies, March 22, 2021, accessed March 31, 2021, https://amr.com.au/post/5-benefits-of-organic-hair-products-what-chemicals-to-avoid/)
[vii] George Driver, "Myth-Busting Organic Skincare - And Why It Could Be Your Skin's Saviour," ELLE, March 11, 2021, accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.elle.com/uk/beauty/skin/a29104120/organic-skincare/)
[viii] Nicole Spector, "FDA Approved a Birth Control App. Here's What OB-GYNs Want You to Know.," NBCNews.com, August 25, 2018, accessed March 24, 2021, https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/fda-approved-birth-control-app-here-s-what-ob-gyns-ncna902606)
[ix] Nicole Wetsman, "Clue Gets FDA Clearance for Digital Birth Control," The Verge, March 01, 2021, accessed March 24, 2021, https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/1/22307991/clue-digital-birth-control-natural-cycles-fda)
[x] Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, Encyclical Letter on the Regulation of Birth, par. 24, July 25, 1968, accessed February 05, 2021, http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html)
[xi] Paul VI, Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, par. 51, December 7, 1965, accessed February 05, 2021, https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html)
[xii] Marguerite R. Duane, MD and Erin Adams, MD, "A Brief History of Scientific Advances and Development of Natural or Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABMs): Part I," Facts About Fertility, June 26, 2018, accessed April 02, 2021, https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/a-brief-history-of-scientific-advances-and-development-of-nfp-methods-part-i/)
[xiii] "Birth Control Pill: Contraception, The Pill, Effectiveness, Types," Cleveland Clinic, accessed April 02, 2021, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/3977-birth-control-the-pill#:~:text=The pill has the potential,an unintended pregnancy every year)
[xiv] Louise Boychuk, RN, "How Effective Is the Marquette Method of NFP?" Vitae Fertility, October 13, 2020, accessed April 02, 2021, https://www.vitaefertility.com/how-effective-is-the-marquette-method-of-nfp/)