 Whom
It May Concern:
My wife and I were wondering if it is permissible to
use condoms during pregnancy? We have attended NFP
classes and practice NFP. My wife is pregnant with
our fourth child. Unfortunately, she is susceptible
to difficult yeast infections when pregnant.
Apparently, the marriage act can increase the
likelihood of an infection due to the acidity of the
male. Thus we were wondering if condoms were an
acceptable option, only during her pregnancy, while
still living in accordance with Church teachings.
Sincerely, Mike
|
Mike, a husband in your
condition may not use the condom any more than an infertile
couple or a couple beyond the childbearing age. The sperm
must always be allowed to flow unimpeded. Dr. Martin's
comments are attached.
Fraternally, Fr. Dan
-----
Dear Mike,
Your question was forwarded to me by Fr. McCaffrey to
answer. I am an NFP-only board certified obstretrician/gynecologist.
While yeast infections during pregnancy can occur because of
the decreased acidity of the vagina, intercourse is not
associated with recurrences unless the husband is the one
harboring the yeast. This is extremely unlikely for the
following reasons: the ejaculate is actually very alkaline
and helps to normalize the pH of the normally acidic vagina.
Yeast may grow under a heavy foreskin in an uncircumcised
male, but ordinarily has no reservoir in men. Yeast require
a warm, wet environment with a plentiful source of glucose.
It's likely that the vaginitis your wife has is not yeast,
or is one of the non-candidal forms which are resistant to
the over-the-counter medications. An immunoassay called
Affirm, by Beckton Dickson, can diagnose yeast, bacterial
vaginosis (an overgrowth of vaginal bacteria associated with
preterm delivery) and trichomonas. The simple Q tip test
takes 15 seconds and the results are available the same day.
If yeast is confirmed, there are prescription meds which
kill the resistant forms. Your wife's doctor should be able
to request the test from the lab. If the test is negative
for all three pathogens, then the likely diagnosis is either
atrophy (decreased estrogen during pregnancy which causes
irritation) or an overgrowth of normal lactobacilli in the
vagina which lowers the pH too much leading to burning and
irritation. This disorder is known as cytologic vaginosis (Doerderlein's
Vaginosis) and can be treated by alkalinizing the vagina.
Intercourse without a condom would be a great way to
accomplish this.
Finally, there is another medical concern with the use of
condoms (I'll leave the theological comments to Fr.
McCaffrey). The wife has a structure in the vagina which
absorbs excess moisture, including seminal fluid, in order
for her immune system to recognize "same." The marital act
allows you to become "one flesh" in an immunologic sense. In
doing so, a mother is less likely to recognize the child she
is carrying as "other" and develop preeclampsia, a serious
complication of pregnancy.
Fr. Matthew Habiger OSB
www.nfpoutreach.org
mhabiger@kansasmonks.org
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