by Katherine Born

Created on: November 08, 2009

One of the most sensitive topics in Christian circles today is the topic of fertility. Although children are widely seen as a blessing from God, the choice to prevent any (or more) children by way of voluntary surgical sterilization is not a topic most people are comfortable discussing over tea. It is seen as a personal choice that does not and should not involve anyone else outside of the marriage. However, this means that a couple struggling with whether or not to choose this option has very few outlets or sources of information; the Internet is loaded with articles on the health implications of surgical sterilization but is silent for the most part on the spiritual ethics and morality of sterilization. Hopefully this article will help fill in that gap just a little.

In researching this subject I have been the grateful recipient of many fellow believer's personal stories and struggles. They have chosen to be transparent and vulnerable. I will not be using any names here, but to honor their transparency I will begin with some personal notes of my own.

My husband was born in May of 1974. His parents had two children and then were informed by the doctors that more children might be too much of a strain to his mother's health. They chose to use a new IUD, called the Dalkon Shield. This IUD was pulled off the market in June of 1974 because it caused many cases of septic spontaneous abortion, pelvic inflammatory disease, permanent infertility and in 7 cases, death. However, my husband was born in May of 1974. In 1973 his mother suffered an ectopic pregnancy/miscarriage while using the Dalkon Shield and yet the doctors left it in. Afterwards, his parents used condoms, spermicide and rhythm to help prevent more pregnancies yet just a few months later they conceived my husband. Four methods of birth control all failed. My husband was born holding the IUD in his hand like a toy. A toy!

God's hand is not just visible in this particular conception however; through the entire 10 plus months of pregnancy (yes, 10) that were riddled with illness and medical malpractice, my husband was kept safe. After a very difficult birth, he was put into intensive care as it became apparent that he was not only extremely malnourished due to being so overdue, but that he had also somehow suffered severe liver damage while in the womb. Weeks of illness did not abate until one weekend, all of the area's churches prayed urgently for his life...and overnight, he was healed.

I love that story,

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