Knowing our own bodies: Fertility apps and the pill, with Dawn McAvoy
Feb 5, 2025
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Dawn McAvoy leads Both Lives, an initiative of the Evangelical Alliance advocating for both mother and child in pregnancy. In this engaging conversation, they discuss the rising trend of women using fertility tracking apps instead of traditional contraceptives. Dawn tackles the ethical implications for Christians regarding contraception, the effectiveness of these fertility apps, and the importance of informed decision-making. The discussion also emphasizes the need for better education around reproductive health, challenging contemporary perceptions of hormonal methods and promoting personal empowerment.
There is a growing trend among women to use fertility tracking apps as contraception, moving away from traditional hormonal methods.
Dawn McAvoy emphasizes the need for women to understand their reproductive health to make choices aligned with their values.
The podcast highlights a disconnect in modern society regarding sexual activity and its reproductive consequences, leading to unintended pregnancies.
Deep dives
Overview of Both Lives Initiative
Both Lives is an initiative led by Dawn McAvoy that focuses on advocating for both the mother and unborn child throughout pregnancy. This initiative originated in Northern Ireland in 2017 under the name Both Lives Matter, responding to proposed changes in abortion laws. Following legal changes in Northern Ireland, it relaunches with a broader UK scope, emphasizing the importance of supporting both lives in pregnancy. The initiative is associated with the Evangelical Alliance, which promotes church unity and advocacy for evangelical perspectives in public discourse.
Contraception Conversations in Christian Communities
Conversations surrounding contraception are complex and often contentious within Christian communities, particularly from a theological perspective. Dawn highlights her experiences attending Q&A sessions where contraception frequently arises as a topic of concern, indicating a lack of clarity among believers. The challenges stem from varying interpretations of when life begins and the science behind contraceptive methods, creating a landscape filled with questions and uncertainties. This reflects a broader societal issue where accurate information about reproductive health is critical for informed decision-making.
Impact of Hormonal Contraceptives on Women
There is growing skepticism among women regarding the use of hormonal contraceptives, especially following the sexual revolution that initially promoted them as liberating. Many women have begun to discuss the side effects and health implications associated with long-term hormone use, leading to a resurgence of interest in fertility awareness-based methods. Dawn shares her personal apprehension about hormonal contraceptives, advocating for understanding women's biology and recognizing the natural fertility cycle. This shift emphasizes the need for women to be empowered with information about their bodies to make choices aligned with their values.
Encouragement of Natural Family Planning
Natural family planning, including fertility awareness methods and apps, encourages couples to understand their reproductive cycles and promotes shared responsibility for family planning. Dawn asserts that these methods empower both partners to engage in deliberative conversations about fertility. With technology aiding in tracking ovulation and menstrual cycles, couples can make informed decisions about pregnancy timing. The conversation around these methods counters the historical reliance on hormonal contraception and seeks to inform women about their bodies in a supportive and educational manner.
The Consequences of Disconnecting Sex from Reproduction
Modern society often separates sexual activity from its natural reproductive consequences, leading to confusion about pregnancy and responsibility. This disconnect contributes to rising rates of unintended pregnancies and challenges the notion that sexual activity can occur without recognizing the potential for new life. As women increasingly abandon hormonal contraception, it's important to emphasize that sexual choices inherently carry the possibility of conception. The dialogue suggests that more informed, responsible discussions about sexuality, pregnancy, and contraception are needed within both secular and faith contexts to align actions with values.
Recent research by the abortion provider BPAS has uncovered a striking increase in the numbers of women who use fertility tracking apps as contraception, rather than the more traditional hormonal pill, coil or implant. And, perhaps most interestingly, there has also been sharp rise in women using no contraception of any kind. In this episode we revisit our last conversation on contraception (linked below) with Dawn McAvoy from the “pro-women pro-life” movement Both Lives, and reconsider why so many women today are turning away from hormonal contraception. Several generations on from the introduction of the Pill, what have been the consequences for society and the church? What are the ethical risks for Christians who believe life begins at conception? Do these fertility-tracking apps actually work, or are they just exploiting ignorance and vague notions of wellness?
BPAS research on contraception methods: https://srh.bmj.com/content/early/2025/01/01/bmjsrh-2024-202573
A BBC News article reporting the study: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c391nlxrv4vo and women’s responses: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93lq2w5n44o
Our last episode exploring contraception: https://www.johnwyatt.com/should-christians-abandon-contraception/
Dawn leads Both Lives, part of the Evangelical Alliance: https://www.eauk.org/what-we-do/initiatives/both-lives
• Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173
• If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com
• For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com
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