Majority of Women Use Contraception Irrespective of
Religious Affiliation
By Martha Kempner
April 15, 2011
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/...ontraceptive-choices
A report released by the Guttmacher Institute yesterday
shows that while religious affiliation may play some
role in decisions regarding sexual behavior, it has
little to do with whether women (married and unmarried)
use contraception. Specifically,the study found that
regardless of religious affiliation at least three-
quarters of never-married women are sexually
experienced by their early twenties and that the
overwhelming majority of sexually active women of all
denominations who do not wish to become pregnant are
using a contraceptive method.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2006-2008 National
Survey for Family Growth which asks questions about
religious affiliation in addition to its questions
about sexual activity and contraceptive use. They
focused specifically on women who identified as
Catholic, Mainline Protestant (which includes
Methodists, Presbyterians, and other groups), and
Evangelicals (which includes Protestant women who
indicated that they were "born-again Christian,"
"charismatic," "evangelical," or "fundamentalist").
Sexual Behavior
Though the majority of women (79 percent) regardless of
religion are sexually active by their 20s, when it
comes to sexual behavior the study pointed to some
differences that were based on religion. For example:
* Among never-married young adult women 20-24,
Evangelicals (75 percent) are less likely than
Catholics (89 percent) or Mainline Protestants (86
percent) to have ever had sex.
* Among all women of reproductive age (15-44) who have
never had sex, Evangelicals (63 percent) are more
likely than Catholics (31 percent) and Mainline
Protestants (36 percent) to cite religious or moral
reasons as their main motivation for remaining
abstinent.
* Never-married women with a religious affiliation who
indicate that religion is very important in their
daily lives are less likely to be sexually
experienced (48 percent) than are those who indicate
that religion is less important (74-80 percent).
This may not come as a surprise given the role that
Evangelical leaders have played in the abstinence-only-
until-marriage movement. While there is no unified
body that speaks for all Evangelical churches in the
United States, the study's authors note that "most
Evangelical leaders strongly oppose sexual activity-and
contraceptive use-among unmarried women of all ages."
Contraceptive Use
What may come as a surprise is that religious
affiliation has little impact on the contraceptive
choices that women (both married and unmarried) make.
The study found:
* Among all women who have had sex, 99 percent have
ever used a contraceptive method other than natural
family planning. This figure is virtually the same,
98 percent, among sexually experienced Catholic
women.
* Only 2 percent of Catholic women rely on natural
family planning while 68 percent use highly effective
methods: sterilization (32 percent), the pill or
other hormonal method (31 percent), and the IUD (5
percent).
* Attendance at religious services and importance of
religion in daily life are largely unrelated to use
of highly effective contraceptive methods.
According to the authors, "This research suggests that
the perception that strongly held religious beliefs and
contraceptive use are antithetical is wrong-in fact,
the two may be highly compatible." In truth, it seems
that most religious institutions have known this for
years. According to the Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice (RCRC), "family planning is
embraced by religions across the spectrum as a moral
good, a responsible choice, and a basic human right."
RCRC points to statements supporting the use of
contraception from the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Presbyterian Church, the Southern Baptist Convention,
Unitarian Universalists, and the United Church of
Christ, among others. Some of these institutions have
supported contraceptive use for many decades. The
Episcopal Church first approved the use of
contraception for family planning in the 1930s and
leaders in Reform Judaism noted in 1929 that birth
control contributes to social stability. In fact,
according to RCRC, the Catholic Church is the only
major faith institution in the United States to forbid
the use of contraception.
While most of us, regardless of our own religions, are
aware of the fact that the Catholic Church is opposed
to the use of all contraceptive methods other than
natural family planning, many of us might not realize
the lengths the church has gone to undermine the use of
modern contraceptive methods in this country. The
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
has opposed publicly funded family planning programs
for many years and in the ongoing debate over health
care reform the USCCB has lead the charge against the
designation of contraception as preventive health
services. (Such a designation would lead to the
requirement that contraception be covered in all health
insurance plans without cost-sharing.) The USCCB has
also sought exemptions that would allow institutions
(such as insurance plans or hospital networks) run by
religious organizations to refuse to provide
contraceptive services and supplies.
This new data showing that Catholic women use modern
contraceptive methods in much the same numbers as their
Protestant and Evangelical counterparts is unlikely to
change the Vatican's mind or the positions of the
USCCB. Still, policymakers should take note. Rachel
K. Jones, one of the authors of the new Guttmacher
study, explains: "The majority of women across
religious denominations are using highly effective
methods of contraception. Any restrictions that we
place around access to these methods are going to
affect women of all faiths." Reverend Debra W. Haffner,
executive director of the Religious Institute, echoes
this: "The vast majority of all American women,
including women of faith, use and support
contraception. One hopes that this would be a powerful
message to federal and state policymakers that
subsidies for family planning methods are essential and
that the United States must renew its commitment to
family planning efforts around the world."
Religious Affiliation
By Martha Kempner
April 15, 2011
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/...ontraceptive-choices
A report released by the Guttmacher Institute yesterday
shows that while religious affiliation may play some
role in decisions regarding sexual behavior, it has
little to do with whether women (married and unmarried)
use contraception. Specifically,the study found that
regardless of religious affiliation at least three-
quarters of never-married women are sexually
experienced by their early twenties and that the
overwhelming majority of sexually active women of all
denominations who do not wish to become pregnant are
using a contraceptive method.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2006-2008 National
Survey for Family Growth which asks questions about
religious affiliation in addition to its questions
about sexual activity and contraceptive use. They
focused specifically on women who identified as
Catholic, Mainline Protestant (which includes
Methodists, Presbyterians, and other groups), and
Evangelicals (which includes Protestant women who
indicated that they were "born-again Christian,"
"charismatic," "evangelical," or "fundamentalist").
Sexual Behavior
Though the majority of women (79 percent) regardless of
religion are sexually active by their 20s, when it
comes to sexual behavior the study pointed to some
differences that were based on religion. For example:
* Among never-married young adult women 20-24,
Evangelicals (75 percent) are less likely than
Catholics (89 percent) or Mainline Protestants (86
percent) to have ever had sex.
* Among all women of reproductive age (15-44) who have
never had sex, Evangelicals (63 percent) are more
likely than Catholics (31 percent) and Mainline
Protestants (36 percent) to cite religious or moral
reasons as their main motivation for remaining
abstinent.
* Never-married women with a religious affiliation who
indicate that religion is very important in their
daily lives are less likely to be sexually
experienced (48 percent) than are those who indicate
that religion is less important (74-80 percent).
This may not come as a surprise given the role that
Evangelical leaders have played in the abstinence-only-
until-marriage movement. While there is no unified
body that speaks for all Evangelical churches in the
United States, the study's authors note that "most
Evangelical leaders strongly oppose sexual activity-and
contraceptive use-among unmarried women of all ages."
Contraceptive Use
What may come as a surprise is that religious
affiliation has little impact on the contraceptive
choices that women (both married and unmarried) make.
The study found:
* Among all women who have had sex, 99 percent have
ever used a contraceptive method other than natural
family planning. This figure is virtually the same,
98 percent, among sexually experienced Catholic
women.
* Only 2 percent of Catholic women rely on natural
family planning while 68 percent use highly effective
methods: sterilization (32 percent), the pill or
other hormonal method (31 percent), and the IUD (5
percent).
* Attendance at religious services and importance of
religion in daily life are largely unrelated to use
of highly effective contraceptive methods.
According to the authors, "This research suggests that
the perception that strongly held religious beliefs and
contraceptive use are antithetical is wrong-in fact,
the two may be highly compatible." In truth, it seems
that most religious institutions have known this for
years. According to the Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice (RCRC), "family planning is
embraced by religions across the spectrum as a moral
good, a responsible choice, and a basic human right."
RCRC points to statements supporting the use of
contraception from the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Presbyterian Church, the Southern Baptist Convention,
Unitarian Universalists, and the United Church of
Christ, among others. Some of these institutions have
supported contraceptive use for many decades. The
Episcopal Church first approved the use of
contraception for family planning in the 1930s and
leaders in Reform Judaism noted in 1929 that birth
control contributes to social stability. In fact,
according to RCRC, the Catholic Church is the only
major faith institution in the United States to forbid
the use of contraception.
While most of us, regardless of our own religions, are
aware of the fact that the Catholic Church is opposed
to the use of all contraceptive methods other than
natural family planning, many of us might not realize
the lengths the church has gone to undermine the use of
modern contraceptive methods in this country. The
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
has opposed publicly funded family planning programs
for many years and in the ongoing debate over health
care reform the USCCB has lead the charge against the
designation of contraception as preventive health
services. (Such a designation would lead to the
requirement that contraception be covered in all health
insurance plans without cost-sharing.) The USCCB has
also sought exemptions that would allow institutions
(such as insurance plans or hospital networks) run by
religious organizations to refuse to provide
contraceptive services and supplies.
This new data showing that Catholic women use modern
contraceptive methods in much the same numbers as their
Protestant and Evangelical counterparts is unlikely to
change the Vatican's mind or the positions of the
USCCB. Still, policymakers should take note. Rachel
K. Jones, one of the authors of the new Guttmacher
study, explains: "The majority of women across
religious denominations are using highly effective
methods of contraception. Any restrictions that we
place around access to these methods are going to
affect women of all faiths." Reverend Debra W. Haffner,
executive director of the Religious Institute, echoes
this: "The vast majority of all American women,
including women of faith, use and support
contraception. One hopes that this would be a powerful
message to federal and state policymakers that
subsidies for family planning methods are essential and
that the United States must renew its commitment to
family planning efforts around the world."
Tell me more about these stats!
