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NuvaRing
I was looking something up on the Internet
recently and got a pop-up. (Just when you think you’ve
got pop-ups under control, one pops up!) This particular pop-up
tried to interest me in a product called NuvaRing, which is a
pregnancy-prevention device. It succeeded! I am interested!
My interest in NuvaRing is not due to any enthusiasm I have for
the prevention of pregnancy! Not by a long shot! I am actually
very much in favor of pregnancy, being the product of the third
of my mother’s five pregnancies. In fact, if I’m not
mistaken, I am sure that, if my mother had not gotten pregnant
in 1937, I would not be the pastor of these two lovely parishes
in Girardville and, at least from my point of view, that would
have been a shame. (Don’t feel any obligation to say
“Amen”.)
(Thanks, Mom, for all five of your pregnancies! In retrospect,
I think they all turned out quite splendidly! Oh! I almost forgot!
Thanks to you too, Dad!)
NuvaRing is a gadget that a woman inserts into the appropriate
(?) orifice and then lets it do its dirty work, removing it and
inserting a fresh one on the last day of the cycle.
According to the website, NuvaRing releases estrogen and progestin
into the blood stream, very much the way “the pill”
does and, thereby, prevents maturation of the ova. The website
does not tell you that, in some cases, the chemicals released
have the back-up effect of promoting an early-stage abortion.
I do give the creators of the website credit for one thing.
They tell you that some of the risks of using NuvaRing are the
following: blood clots; strokes and heart attacks; high blood
pressure and heart disease; cancer of the reproductive organs
and breast; gallbladder disease; liver tumors; lipid metabolism
and inflammation of the pancreas.
In addition to which, there are some common side effects:
vaginal infections and irritation; vaginal secretion; headache;
weight gain; nausea
We’re not finished yet! In addition to the risks and side
effects listed above, users of NuvaRing have reported the following
side effects: vomiting; change in appetite; abdominal cramps
and bloating; breast tenderness or enlargement; irregular vaginal
bleeding or spotting; changes in menstrual cycle; temporary infertility
after treatment; fluid retention (edema); spotty darkening of
the skin, particularly on the face; rash; weight changes; depression;
intolerance to contact lenses; nervousness; dizziness; loss of
scalp hair; sharp chest pain, coughing blood, or sudden shortness
of breath (possible clot in the lung); pain in the calf (back
of lower leg; possible clot in the leg); crushing chest pain
or heaviness in the chest (possible heart attack); sudden severe
headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, problems with vision
or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (possible stroke);
sudden partial or complete loss of vision (possible clot in the
eye); yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice),
especially with fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark-colored
urine, or light-colored bowel movements (possible liver problems);
severe pain, swelling, or tenderness in the abdomen (gallbladder
or liver problems); sudden fever (usually 102°F or more),
vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, or a sunburn-like rash
on the face or body (very rarely, toxic shock syndrome); breast
lumps (possible breast cancer or benign breast disease); irregular
vaginal bleeding or spotting that happens in more than one menstrual
cycle or lasts for more than a few days; urgent, frequent, burning
and/or painful urination, and cannot locate the ring in the vagina
(rarely, accidental placement of NuvaRing into the urinary bladder);
swelling (edema) of your fingers or ankles; difficulty in sleeping,
weakness, lack of energy, fatigue, or a change in mood (possible
severe depression).
There is one side-effect they left out on the website. I guess
they leave that up to people in my profession to point out.
That side-effect is MORTAL SIN — which is the loss
of sanctifying grace, with the consequent destiny of going to
Hell for all eternity.
You do know that the use of artificial contraception is a mortal
sin, do you not? |
Saturday,
27 August
shame
his eminence didn’t see that particular fan. I just hope
he was prepared to meet his Maker. Other than that, I really
don’t have a whole lot to say. I need to talk it over with
the Bishop. There might be some insurance issues involved, but
I really don’t think that the parish should be held liable.
We take it for granted that our visitors are smart enough not
to fly into the moving fans! It just goes to show you! You
never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next!
On the bright side: I’m glad that Mr. Feeney won’t
be running off to Rome. We need him in Girardville. And I’m
glad that Mr. Sherman was on the scene. He has had a lot of
experience with funerals.”