The short answer is yes! When a male is sexually excited his penis will get hard and erect. If he is close to a female’s vagina (touching, part way in, all the way in) he could get her pregnant because when his penis is erect he will not necessarily be aware that some semen could being released. Even a little bit of semen (the male’s fluid) has sperm in it, and sperm is what can make a girl pregnant.
Do condoms make sex safer?
I’m sure you’ve probably heard people say, “Use a condom every time you have sex.”
You may think that condoms make sex safer, but research shows that’s not the case. Condoms used to prevent pregnancy fail in about 14% of couples in the first year that they were using them. Even if a condom is used every time, it can only reduce your risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection, but not eliminate the risk.
The truth is, even if you use a condom every single time you have sex, you’re still at risk for both pregnancy and STIs. And up until right now, there is no evidence that consistently using a condom during oral sex will reduce your chance of getting most STIs, including HIV.
When is a person a person?
Have you ever wondered what is the big deal about the abortion issue? Doesn’t it seem insensitive to women to make abortion illegal? And what if a woman was pregnant because of rape or what if her life were at risk because she is pregnant?
There is no doubt that the news of a pregnancy might not be welcomed by some women. Sometimes being pregnant means big life changes, with some of those changes being quite difficult. I don’t think anyone argues that point.
In our society, we believe that all of us deserve to have certain rights–simply because we are human beings. No matter how different from each other people may be, we understand that they are people and should be treated with dignity.
Their lives matter. They have great value. Even though animals are valued and property is valued, we hold on to the truth that we as human beings are not in the same category as these.
We are different. The life a person is precious and that life is worth protecting.
So the question that must be answered is: when is a person a person?
If a person is a person when he is born, or when he can viably live outside the womb, then some kinds of abortion would be no big deal.
But what if a person is a person at the moment he is conceived? Would abortion be alright? Is it morally acceptable for a person’s life to be terminated because the impact that person’s life has on others may be stressful or difficult?
The answer is no. We cannot take the life of one person so that so that another person’s life is less stressful or complicated.
It can be argued that there is very little difference between the person who lives outside the womb and the person who lives inside the womb. Consider this:
Size:
The person who lives outside the womb is bigger than the person inside the womb. But is it alright for us to say that someone who is smaller does not have the same rights as someone who is bigger? Does a person who is over six feet tall have more value as a person than someone who is barely four feet tall?
Level of Development:
There are many stages of human life-infant, toddler, preschooler, schoolager, teen, adult, elderly-to name a few. Does a person who is in a later stage of life have more value as a person than someone who is in a much earlier stage? Does a teen’s life have more value than a toddlers? No. Neither does the person who has already been born have more rights than the person who is waiting to be born. Before birth, there are stages of human life, too-like embryo and fetus for instance.
Environment:
Do people who live in Florida “count” more than people who live in Michigan? We would laugh as such an idea as obsurd. Still, there is question about whether an unborn person is actually a person because where he resides is inside a womb.
Degree of Dependency:
Some people require assisstance in their daily lives. A person who is blind might depend on others in many ways. Certainly a person who is a baby is very dependant on his mother for shelter, food, clothing, and hygiene. Would we ever say that that baby has less value or has fewer rights than an adult who lives with a high degree of independance? Of course not. That is why we should consider than the preborn infant, though completely dependant on mother, still has incredible value and should be givien the same kind of rights and protection as the child who is already born. [Read more...]
Birth Control
Not ready to be a parent yet? Hoping to avoid a surprise pregnancy?
Here are some methods for keeping a pregnancy from happening along with their failure rates, advantages and disadvantages.
| Method | How it Works | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstinence |
Couple does not get involved in sex play or intimate contact 100% effective |
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| Withdrawal |
Penis is removed from vagina before ejaculation (semen released) to prevent sperm from meeting egg 76% effective |
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| No Method |
Not using any precautions to prevent a pregnancy from happening. 15% effective |
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| Condom |
Thin sheath made of latex, plastic or animal tissue covers penis before intercourse 79-86% effective if used correctly and consistently |
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| Pill – also known as oral contraceptive |
A small pill taken once daily, at the same time. Artificial hormones designed to help a woman’s body believe that it is pregnant month after month. Delivers a combination of estrogen and progestin to a woman’s body. It purpose is to: 1. Stops egg from being released, 2. or cause the mucous in cervix to change to inhibit sperm transport, 3. or change lining of uterus to inhibit implantation of fetus. *Note: There is insufficient medical evidence to determine exactly how the chemical is working in each individual woman’s body. 95% effective when taken daily and at same time. |
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| The Patch |
Prevents pregnancy the same way as birth control pills: Stop egg from being released, changing the mucous in the cervix making it more difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. It delivers continuous levels of the progestin and estrogen through the skin and into the bloodstream. 99% effective |
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| Lunelle |
The progestin component of Lunelle prevents the ovary from releasing an egg. 99% effective |
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| Depo-provera |
Progestin-only contraceptives deliver hormones to the body by an injected into arm or buttocks every 12 weeks (3 months). Progestin, is a synthetic progesterone. Hormones keep the ovaries from releasing eggs. Thickens the cervical mucous which keeps sperm from joining with an egg. 99% effective |
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| Diaphragm or Cervical Cap |
Soft rubber barrier intended to fit securely over the cervix. Used with spermicide. Blocks the entrance to the uterus preventing sperm from reaching an egg. 82% effective |
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| Emergency Contraception a.k.a. The Morning After Pill |
A mega dose of contraception, which is designed to 1. stop ovulation, 2. change the mucus in the cervix, or 3. change the lining of the uterus to inhibit implantation of fetus. Treatment schedule is one dose within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse and a second dose 12 hours after the first dose. However, studies have found that the pills are effective when the first dose is started up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected intercourse. 98% effective |
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| Spermicides |
Spermicide is a chemical that prevents pregnancy by immobilizing or killing sperm so non can reach and fertilize the egg. Spermicide is contained in gel, foam, or other “carrier” that holds the spermicide within the vagina. Often used with a vaginal barrier such as a diaphragm or cervical cap, but can be used alone. |
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| NuvaRing |
A soft, flexible ring about 2 inches is inserted into the vagina only once a month. It slowly releases a low dose of the hormones that inhibit ovulation and alter the cervical mucus to increase the difficulty of sperm movement. At the end of 21 day, remove the ring to allow the body to have its menstrual cycle. After a seven day break, insert new ring. 99% effective |
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| Female Condom |
A thin, loose-fitting and flexible plastic tube worn inside the vagina. A soft ring at the closed end of the tube covers the cervix during intercourse and holds it inside the vagina and partly covers the lip area. Provides a barrier between partners to prevent sharing bodily fluids like semen, blood or saliva. Effectiveness unknown |
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Questions About Abortion
How early can a baby survive outside the mother’s womb?
Currently, twenty weeks is considered the accepted minimum. However, this time will be reduced as medical technology continues to improve.
When does the unborn baby’s heart begin to beat?
The heartbeat begins between the 18 and 25 day.
When does the brain begin to function?
Electrical brain waves have been recorded as early as forty days.
What about cases of rape and incest?
Medically, we know pregnancy in these rape cases would be rare. A study of one thousand rape victims who were treated after the rape reported no pregnancies. But we must approach the victim of rape or incest with great compassion. The woman has been subjected to horrible, ugly trauma, and she needs love, support and help. She has been the victim of one violent act. A second violent act – that of abortion – would not take the memory or the trauma of the first event away, only make it worse.
But what about the child with disease who will die a slow death or live his life as a burden to his family?
Does it seem right to you to kill those who are suffering or burdensome? Some of these cases are tragic, some are also inspirational. We cannot justify terminating the life of an unborn child simply because the child has not yet been seen in public. We wouldn’t end that child’s life once he/she was born. The child’s place of residence does not change what abortion does – kill a human being.
What about the population boom? We can hardly feed the people of the world now!
True, the population of the world is growing, but population is not much of a problem in the U.S. With a birth every 8 seconds and a death every 11 seconds, the U.S. population is growing at less than one percent per year. (www.census.gov)
How can a girl give up her own baby for adoption and go through life never knowing what is happening to her child?
Which is better to remember, “I gave my baby life. And because I loved him, I gave him into the arms of a loving couple” – or to remember, “I selfishly ended my baby’s life?” Also, some birth moms arrange for having some contact with the child after the birth.
