She and I were waiting together in the green room at the church, preparing to make our respective presentations to an excited group of women. The moment she heard I was an OB-Gyn physician she asked, “Can I talk to you about something?” Women’s health and faith were not at peace with each other in her mind.
My new friend and her husband were wrestling with some decisions about their marriage and family that had some significant ethical implications. They knew most of the medical information they needed to know. They knew what they could do.
But they weren’t satisfied with knowing what they could do. They were dedicated followers of Jesus, and wanted their decisions to honor God in every way. They were more interested in what they should do. They had heard what seemed to be conflicting perspectives from friends and other Christians, and were struggling to know how to proceed.
Women’s health and faith have sometimes seemed at odds with each other. But that’s really an illusion. As an OB-Gyn physician I’ve been privileged to help women with some of the most intimate and challenging aspects of their lives. And for women of faith, many of the decisions involved carry significant ethical and moral implications. Committed believers take that seriously.
Here are a few of those areas:
- Contraception. Is using birth control OK for followers of Jesus? Does the kind of birth control matter? What about the Catholic Church’s prohibition on birth control, or the implication by some Christians that having as many children as possible is the best way to honor God?
- Infertility. How does God look at infertile couples? Is using infertility treatment OK for followers of Jesus? How should a couple decide which treatments are consistent with their faith? Should there be limits on what kinds of technology a Christian can use to have a child?
- Stress and illness. Does religion cause more stress, or relieve stress? What roll does spirituality or faith play in dealing with illness or a healthy lifestyle?
Sexuality, healthcare costs, mental health – they all are carry significant ethical implications.
If you’re serious about your faith, it has a whole lot to say about almost every area of Women’s Health!
If you care about the value of life, stewardship of the finances God has given you, caring for the Holy Spirit’s temple that is your body, and being at your best so that you can accomplish the purpose for which God put you here, then you can see how your spiritual life hugely impacts everything about “women’s health” – and your health as a woman.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a guide to help you make your way through these challenging and sometimes confusing decisions?
That’s why I wrote Dr Carol’s Guide to Women’s Health.
In this book you won’t find theological pronouncements. But you’ll find a framework for applying your faith to all these ethically-charged areas of your life. You’ll clearly see where I stand on the issues, but that’s not good enough. You need to make your own choices in these areas, and you need to know why you’re making the decisions that you do. Whenever I discuss one of these challenging areas, I help you understand why I believe as I do, and give you the framework to think through the issues for yourself from a Biblical perspective.
Taking charge of your health and your healthcare includes understanding why you make the decisions that you do. Don’t simply take someone else’s word for it. Think it through, gather the information you need, pray about it, and then move forward.
Dr Carol’s Guide to Women’s Health can help you understand those “women’s health” issues in a faith-friendly way. Just as I did with my friend that day in the green room at the church, I want to do the same for you.
Get Dr Carol’s Guide to Women’s Health today!
Your Turn: What area of ‘Women’s Health’ has been the most challenging for you from a moral or ethical perspective? Leave a comment below.
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