In case you missed it, the world celebrated Contraception Day 2011 on [September 26]. Here is USAID’s recognition of the day, complete with a happy Indian family with two children, (the average number the UN statisticians say Indians, and every other nation, will have by century’s end and a one child less than the average Indian family actually has.)
How should we commemorate World Contraception Day? One way is to examine a new study from UC Irvine showing how women on the pill suffer from altered memory. According to this groundbreaking research, women on the pill lose the ability to remember things and more emotional instead.
Researchers were quick to say this didn’t “damage” memory, but what else can we conclude from the fact that women can no longer remember what happened at the scene of an accident, and instead can recall only feelings? I wonder how many trial lawyers will bring this new knowledge to bear at the witness stand.
What struck me is the impact this might be having on a woman’s ability to cultivate her spiritual development, no matter her religion. The memory is one of the qualities of our soul, our highest power, whereas emotions are a lesser quality. By increasing emotional reaction and diminishing abilities of the memory, wouldn’t this be hampering our spiritual and intellectual empowerment and advancement?
Something to think about next time we hear someone tell us how much the pill has helped women these last 50 years.
