Image via Wikipedia
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month as well as Domestic ViolenceAwareness month. So in recognition of breast cancer awareness month, I wanted to give my readers some information on it, as well as my usual info on domestic violence. And just in case you don’t already know it, if your man coerces or forces you to use birth-control methods you don’t want to use, refuses to let you have the children you do want, forces you to have sex when he has an STD or is at risk for one by being unfaithful, or forces you to have an abortion against your will, these are all considered domestic violence and may also put you at a higher risk for breast cancer. Here’s some more info on those links and risks.
Several medical groups have made statements acknowledging a link between abortion and increased breast cancer risk, though this is denied by many in the abortion industry. But the facts state that pregnancy hormones structurally change the breasts and when pregnancy is interrupted, the risk of breast cancer is increased. A pregnancy’s outcome (i.e. full term pregnancy, a premature birth, miscarriage, or induced abortion) influences cancer-resistance of women’s breast cells. Women’s breasts are not as fully cancer-resistant until they lactate (breastfeed). Early first full term birth, larger family size, and increased duration of breastfeeding all reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Abortion raises breast cancer risk in several ways. Abortion causes the mother to lose the protective effect of a full term pregnancy, delays her first full term pregnancy and reduces the size of her family, which all increase the risk of breast cancer. Abortion also puts women at risk for having premature births before 32 weeks gestation in future pregnancies, which is an unarguable breast cancer risk for the mother. One study found a 40% increased breast cancer risk for women who had abortions. This study concluded that abortion is a risk factor for breast cancer. In addition to abortion, hormonal methods of birth-control have also been associated with breast cancer. The World Health Organization lists the birth control pill with estrogen and progestin in it as the highest level of cancer-causing agents. So abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood often give women cancer-causing abortions and then prescribe them cancer-causing birth control methods.
It is clear that a woman who has a full term pregnancy has a lower risk than one who has had an abortion. Full term pregnancy lowers risk, but abortion increases risk. So Women who abort, have later first full term pregnancies, have fewer children and choose to bottle feed their babies increase their risks of getting breast cancer considerably. And women who don’t abort, have fairly early first pregnancies, have more children, and choose to breastfeed reduce their risk of breast cancer considerably, as well. Some studies indicate with each child a woman has and breastfeeds, the risk of breast cancer is reduced by 10%.
Women in the Christian Community should take these facts for what they are and do everything in their power to reduce their risks of breast cancer. God’s word teaches us to “Be fruitful and multiply” so when we try to thwart God’s plan for our lives, we aren’t doing ourselves any favors. As Christians, we shouldn’t be using hormonal birth-control methods, which often abort pregnancies early on, after conception. We certainly shouldn’t choose abortion as an answer to another sinful behavior (sex outside of marriage) or for any other reason. And we should be choosing life for our babies, and choose to breastfeed them, which is God’s natural plan for mothers and their babies. We need to let God have every part of our lives, including our reproductive lives. If we hold on to that part of our lives and choose to “control” our reproduction, we put ourselves at odds with God, and at risk for breast cancer. But even when we do everything right and try to keep ourselves healthy and in God’s will, some women, in this fallen world, will get breast cancer in spite of it all. So we need to be compassionate to those who do get breast cancer, whether or not they have knowingly or unknowingly increased their risk. God’s compassion doesn’t fail us and ours shouldn’t fail our sisters in Christ.
It Rarely Stops Video
For more on the Breast Cancer -Abortion and Contraception Link
Pingback: A Christian Perspective of Perimenopause and Menopause in Women Part 1 | Go Fish Ministries, Inc