# Does the Catholic church still oppose birth control? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238 "2026-10-29T13:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/1 "2026-10-29T13:04:49Z")
Googling says it does, but I do not see any examples of families with gobs of children nowadays, despite a generous Catholic population in my smallish town. Maybe I’m reading outdated stuff, and contraceptives are actually allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/2 "2026-10-29T13:10:34Z")
Officially, yes, but polling and demographic studies show that a majority of self-identified Catholic women use artificial birth control anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/3 "2026-10-29T13:11:14Z")
The calendar method is OK. Other methods are prohibited, and that includes condoms, the pill (both before and - especially - after), and AIUI also coitus interruptus. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/4 "2026-10-29T13:16:39Z")
> [@teelabrown](#): > > contraceptives are actually allowed Not according to the Catholic Church, they aren’t. Now, a legitimate question is, whether Catholics simply ignore their own doctrine, in your town or elsewhere. > [@Schnitte](#): > > The calendar method is OK. Other methods are prohibited, and that includes condoms, the pill (both before and - especially - after), and AIUI also coitus interruptus. Any “actus ut procreatio impediatur” is right out, including coitus interruptus: > Item quivis respuendus est actus, qui, cum coniugale commercium vel praevidetur vel efficitur vel ad suos naturales exitus ducit, id tamquam finem obtinendum aut viam adhibendam intendat, ut procreatio impediatur. [see the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Humanae Vitae, Litterae Encyclicae] and so on and so on, also you may not get a vasectomy, etc. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/5 "2026-10-29T13:22:35Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Now, a legitimate question is, whether Catholics simply ignore their own doctrine, in your town or elsewhere. Paraphrasing an old saying: The difference between doctrine and practice is that doctrinally, there’s no difference between doctrine and practice, while in practice there is. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/6 "2026-10-29T14:07:34Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > coitus interruptus AKA Vietnam ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/7 "2026-10-29T14:21:57Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > including coitus interruptus I mean, that’s the one that people point to as having been a no-no in the text of the Bible. Although Jewish doctrine also points to God’s commandment to the first humans, “be fruitful and multiply”. Because bearing children is physically risky for women, Jewish authorities generally give the woman more leeway to prevent pregnancy than the man. Similarly, i read (many years ago, so maybe it’s no longer true) that Catholics were more likely than the general population to use surgical birth control (for either sex) because that was just one sin that you could confess, and then you didn’t need to sin over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/8 "2026-10-29T14:29:12Z")
At least the Church is consistent in holding that sex and procreation should not be artificially separated: doctrine also forbids artificial insemination. So it isn’t the case that the Church simply wants women to crank out as many babies as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/9 "2026-10-29T14:35:18Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Because bearing children is physically risky for women, Jewish authorities generally give the woman more leeway to prevent pregnancy than the man. IIRC, even ultra-Orthodox authorities allow a couple to stop trying for more children after they’ve had at least one boy and one girl, though only in exigent circumstances (e.g., severe financial or medical constraints) and with their rabbi’s approval. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/10 "2026-10-29T14:53:17Z")
Almost all the lay Catholics I know who are vocally opposed to birth control do both of these: - excoriate the Church (and especially this Pope) for not beating this drum loudly enough - are very concerned about (White, Non Hispanic) Catholics not having enough children and thus losing political and cultural power. My mother had six children in 82 months. My aunt had ten in just under 12 years. Both of them are devout Catholics but think the Church’s position on birth control is silly FOR MARRIED PEOPLE. So for them it is still an issue because it gives license for “illicit” sex. Especially for women. Maybe only for women. I know my mother was not the least concerned about me and my brothers shacking up without the benefit of clergy. But for my sisters it was totally unacceptable. My father, bless him, strongly disapproved of both. Sometimes there is a gap between the Church and laity on why something is forbidden 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/11 "2026-10-29T14:56:35Z")
I’m told it varies, and some communities require one boy and one girl, and others require two boys. Most of my modern Orthodox friends have 2 kids, so i suspect many communities are okay with any two children. That being said, if there’s an unusually large risk for the woman, they are allowed to stop trying even with no kids. Of course “trying” includes having sex. I think a Catholic couple who doesn’t want more kids is allowed to be abstinent. Orthodox Jews have an obligation to fulfill that commandment, if possible. (The minimal Interpretation of which is different from community to community.) This combination of rules makes in vitro conception complicated for Orthodox Jews. They aren’t allowed to ejaculate outside a woman, but they also have to try to make a baby. I’ve heard of couples using a condom during a marital sex act to collect the sperm. I have no idea if Catholics are allowed to do that. Their rules on sex, despite coming from the same source material, are very different. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/12 "2026-10-29T14:57:40Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > Sometimes there is a gap between the Church and laity on why something is forbidden Or whether something is forbidden. For sure! ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/13 "2026-10-29T15:01:12Z")
“Be fruitful and multiply” was written thousands of years ago when the human population was a tiny fraction of what it is now. Applying it to today with the world population being what it is has to be a joke. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/14 "2026-10-29T15:04:41Z")
I get the impression that (as usual) the Catholic Church’s teachings are well-reasoned, but out of step with modern thought. Most Catholics I know view birth control as maybe something that in theory they shouldn’t do, but practically speaking, it’s the best choice. They’re not going to be celibate, and they’re not going to roll the pregnancy dice either. So the Church’s teachings are all well and good, but more appropriate for people a century or two ago who got married in their teens/early 20s. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/15 "2026-10-29T15:46:39Z")
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that in any religion, there can be a significant gap between what doctrine requires people to do and what they actually do in their lives, even if they subscribe to the doctrine as a matter of theory. There’s a Talmudic tradition that the people of Israel will be redeemed forever if they just manage to properly keep two consecutive sabbaths, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/16 "2026-10-29T16:48:32Z")
> [@](#): > > I think a Catholic couple who doesn’t want more kids is allowed to be abstinent That’s correct. In fact, a Catholic couple could never have sex at all while married and that would not be an issue. Catholic couples can also schedule sex to limit the chance of fertilization. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/17 "2026-10-29T19:31:23Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Now, a legitimate question is, whether Catholics simply ignore their own doctrine, in your town or elsewhere. The answer, in the U.S., is “the vast majority of them are ignoring their own doctrine.” As per this 2011 study: > [@](#): > > In April 2011, the Guttmacher Institute published the results of an analysis finding that [99% of all women of reproductive age who have ever had sex—including 98% of such Catholic women—have used a method of contraception other than natural family planning.](https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/Religion-and-Contraceptive-Use.pdf) > [@](#): > > Among women who are currently at risk of unintended pregnancy, [88% overall—and 87% of Catholics—use a method other than natural family planning.](https://www.guttmacher.org/media/resources/Religion-FP-tables.html) > [@](#): > > Among all women who are at risk of unintended pregnancy, [69% (including 68% of Catholics) are currently using a highly effective contraceptive method](https://www.guttmacher.org/media/resources/Religion-FP-tables.html)—male or female sterilization, the IUD, the pill or another hormonal method. The Catholic Church also teaches that premarital sex is a sin, but the same study shows a similar level of non-compliance with that teaching, too: > [@](#): > > By their early 20s, some 79% of never-married women—and 89% of never-married Catholic women—have had sex. > **[Guttmacher Statistic on Catholic Women’s Contraceptive Use](https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2012/02/guttmacher-statistic-catholic-womens-contraceptive-use)** > > In April 2011, the Guttmacher Institute published the results of an analysis finding that 99% of all women of reproductive age who have ever had sex—including 98% of such Catholic women—have used a method of contraception other than natural family... ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/18 "2026-10-29T19:31:45Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > In fact, a Catholic couple could never have sex at all while married and that would not be an issue. It might be true that a Catholic couple aren’t committing a sin if they never have sex; but non-consummation of a marriage is a ground for annulment in the ecclesiastical courts, so there does seem to be a notion that it goes against the purpose of marriage. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/19 "2026-10-29T19:39:40Z")
In Catholic circles. a chaste marriage is called a Josephite marriage, because according to Catholic doctrine, Mary stayed a virgin all her life and never had sex with Joseph and no other offspring than Jesus. Though that seems to be contradicted by the Gospels, where siblings of Jesus are mentioned. though I also remember that the passage is ambiguous and could also mean cousins. > **[Josephite marriage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephite_marriage)** > > Josephite marriage, also known as spiritual marriage, chaste marriage, and continent marriage, is a religiously motivated practice in which a man and a woman marry and live together without engaging in sexual activity. The name Josephite comes from Saint Joseph, whose marriage to Mary, mother of Jesus is considered unconsummated by believers in the perpetual virginity of Mary. A feature of Catholic spiritual marriage, or Josephite marriage, is that the agreement to abstain from sex should be a fr... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238/20 "2026-10-29T19:43:55Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Mary stayed a virgin all her life and never had sex with Joseph and no other offspring than Jesus. Though that seems to be contradicted by the Gospels, where siblings of Jesus are mentioned. though I also remember that the passage is ambiguous and could also mean cousins. Having grown up Catholic, where the fact that not only was Mary a virgin when Jesus was conceived, but remained a virgin through her life, is a deeply-held belief of the faith, I was always taught that, indeed, those were not his blood siblings. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-catholic-church-still-oppose-birth-control/1034238.md?page=2)