Ethical and legal issues in contraception

Muslim perspective

• Contraception for legally married couple it is permissible. Methods of contraception allowed include coitus interruptus, barrier methods and long acting reversible contraception.
• The 12th Muzakarah on 20 January 1977 had decreed:
  1. female (tubal ligation) and male (vasectomy) sterilisation is forbidden (haram),
  2. contraception used to limit the number of children is forbidden,
  3. the use of contraception and family planning for reasons to preserve the integrity of maternal health, education and family wellbeing; other then the above two (1&2), is allowed.
• However, some Islamic scholars (not Malaysia) opined that female sterilisation may be permissible if only when there is a medical opinion that if the women’s life is endangered or her mental health can be seriously affected by a pregnancy which could not be prevented by other legitimate means.
• For mentally challenge patients: contraception is allowed (harus) in order to regulate her periods and avoid sexual exploitations . However, permanent contraception can be considered only when a certified specialist opined that pregnancy would be more detrimental to her heath and/or her family well-being.

Buddhist perspective

• Buddhism: the use of contraception is a way of avoiding pregnancy and it does not harm any living being.
• Most Buddhist believe that conception occurs when the egg is fertilised so contraception that prevent fertilisation is not ordinarily a problem
• Emergency contraception is likely to be acceptable

Christian perspective

• Generally, any form of contraception is prohibited because its considered as an act that stood in the way of pregnancy and affront to “God’s design.“
• Book of Genesis wrote a son of Judah named Onan “spills his seed” on the ground to avoid impregnating his brother’s widow. This act displeases the Lord, and the Lord smites Onan.
• However in 1930, The Anglican Church endorsed contraception, if used “in the light of Christian principles,” and other Protestant denominations followed suit.
• Conversely, Catholicism maintain that any form of contraception is strictly prohibited.
• Interestingly, in 2016, Pope Francis suggested that women at risk for contracting the Zika virus could use birth control as he opined that birth control is the “lesser of two evils” compared to abortion.

Sikh and Hindu perspective

• Sikhism: birth control though contraception is acceptable as there is no actual religious prohibition
• Hinduism: all methods of contraception is permitted