Consecrated women religious have been shown to be at increased risk for uterine and ovarian cancers. The authors critique a proposal by Kara Britt and Roger Short advocating the distribution of a combined oral contraceptive to women religious as a way of reducing this risk. The authors argue that the proposal is seriously flawed: the data it references attenuate its conclusion, the execution protocol is incomplete, and the proposal fails to address the serious health risks of combined oral contraceptives. As a counterproposal, the authors recommend that women religious be taught to monitor their gynecologic health by charting their menstrual and ovulatory cycles. National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 12.2 (Summer 2012): 235–239.
religious sisters uterine ovarian cancer risk reduction, nulliparity ovarian cancer risk nuns women religious, oral contraceptive cancer prevention religious women critique, menstrual cycle charting gynecologic health monitoring nuns, Britt Short oral contraceptive nuns critique response, combined oral contraceptive health risks nulliparous women, ovulatory cycle monitoring cancer prevention consecrated women, Catholic bioethics contraception cancer prevention alternative, fertility awareness body literacy cancer risk women religious, uterine ovarian cancer nulliparity menstrual cycle tracking
DOI 10.5840/ncbq201212250 10.5840/ncbq201212250
Cite this article
Hemphill, C. C., Karges, K., & Mirkes, R. (2012). Reducing uterine and ovarian mortality risks of religious sisters. The national Catholic bioethics quarterly, 12(2), 235-239. https://doi.org/10.5840/ncbq201212250
Hemphill CC, Karges K, Mirkes R. Reducing uterine and ovarian mortality risks of religious sisters. Natl Cathol Bioeth Q. 2012;12(2):235-239. doi:10.5840/ncbq201212250
Hemphill, C. C., et al. "Reducing uterine and ovarian mortality risks of religious sisters." The national Catholic bioethics quarterly, vol. 12, no. 2, 2012, pp. 235-239.
Mirkes R, 2020·The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly
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