SEX and birth control options

[annadrina]

Okay I have two basic questions id love to hear opinions about.


1. What are your beliefs on sex before marriage? Is it natural to have sex before marriage..or should humans wait


2. What do raw foodists use for birth control? pills..condoms..vasectomy

[Crazy Healer Lady]

1) I have strong beliefs that whatever works for one, works for that one, and not always for another :) I am not married but am living with my boyfriend, and I feel all that we do celebrates the divine. My beliefs and ways of life offend some, but I honour their way as well. If waiting before marriage is what feels right, do it!

2) BC pills have animal products in them, but many are willing to forego that to not get pregnant. I use the copper IUD - no hormones - because I feel it is the least harmful to my body and the most natural I can get. When I am married, I will be using the Fertility Awareness Method ( not to be mistaken for the Rhythm Method!). For more information I recommend reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. http://www.amazon.ca/Taking-Charge-Y.../dp/0060937645 AMAZING book. I feel this is the most natural, and so enlightening and empowering!!!

[carolg]

Not your situation, but my daughter in law was nursing and recently became pregnant. She was shocked. Some think impossible to conceive nursing, obviously not so.

carolg

[Christiana]

1. Sex before marriage is a sin, although in these days it is not treated as such. Besides that, and for personal reasons, I would really hate to give myself to someone other than the man I marry. It would just be....I dunno. I would feel ashamed that I hadn't waited.


2. Abstinence. The one and only fool-proof birth control, and it has no side affects! Oh, plus, I won't pick up any nasty stuff "down there".

I respect both my body and my future partner, and abstinence is my way to show it. It's similar to eating SAD foods. You feel good for a time, but does it last? Relationships build on lust don't go too far. It's the love...the REAL love that lasts a lifetime.

[Eva]

annadrina --

Religion is not part of the discussion on this forum, so there is only so much I can say and still show my respect for Alissa's forum guidelines -- who pays for the maintenance and hosting of this place where we can come and get support for raw foods and health.

I have personal experience that may be helpful to you, but I do not feel comfortable sharing it on a public board. If you're interested, click on my user name to send me an email. If you're not -- it's totally cool. Either way, I hope you find what you're looking for. :)

There is a wealth of information on the following threads:
http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42219
http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=35176
http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=30313

[agumble]

I agree with Eva, I've had my own personal experiences with this subject. I don't really feel comfortable posting them on here, but feel free to send me an email on here and I'd be more than happy to share. Not to say that my answer is the right one, but it could at least give you another viewpoint to look at things from.

[coco]

well, for me the purpose of this raw and natural diet/lifestyle is to live as close to naturally as possible and so i look to the rest of the animal kingdom when considering these issues. animals don't obtain wedding licenses before engaging in natural, normal sexual activity and that's a pretty good guideline as far as i'm concerned. to each their own though, i have never understood the need for all the weird "rules" but i accept that some people are more comfortable living like that.

as for birth control, i have always used the withdrawl method. i don't recommend it unless you are alright with getting pregnant though as it's only about 75% effective (depending on your fertility and your partner). i am extremely fertile and have never gotten pregnant while using that method so long as it was performed correctly. the two children i have were from nights when we did something differently. heh.
i do have a little microscope tool that uses saliva to measure biosalts that indicate ovulation not only the day of but at the onset 4 days prior. this is very handy as sperm can live in the body for up to 4 days. when used correctly it is absolutely 100% accurate. the one i bought ( ovutrac) cost about $100 but it was totally worth it. i think you can get smaller units for less too, look around.

http://www.ovulation-predictor.net/

[Lady Green Jeans]

I hope you find the answer you are comfortable with. As already stated, Alissa's site does not allow for religious discussion, which is often the basis of respecting the body and reserving the self for a special life partner. The self is also more than just physical and spiritual.

In reference to nature as detailed from a prior post, man/women heve been blessed with the power of rational and cognitive thinking and are above animals (in that respect.) Granted, we often and sadly revert to quite primative ways.


For me the purpose of this raw and natural diet/lifestyle is to live as close to naturally as possible and so i look to the rest of the animal kingdom when considering these issues. animals don't obtain wedding licenses before engaging in natural, normal sexual activity and that's a pretty good guideline as far as i'm concerned. to each their own though, i have never understood the need for all the weird "rules" but i accept that some people are more comfortable living like that.

[coco]

for people professing to respect the no religious discussion policy some sure are flogging the religious guilty philosophy

my "rational and cognitive thinking" tells me that we are NOT above animals in any way other than in our own ego inflated minds and that the perfect model of behaviour for us primates is that of other primates. live and love, that's what mother nature intends for us. not this life of strict behavioral policies that have zero to do with us as real human beings.

sex is just as natural as apples and grapes and i enjoy it at least as much for it's own sake. i'd no more deny that than i would any other appetite.

[Asian Pear]

Hi, long time lurker here.

I find this thread interesting, interesting enough to post. I personally do believe from a spiritual standpoint that abstaining from sexual relations until married is the way to go.

But, seeing that we can't discuss spirituality, or religion as some might call it, here's a viewpoint based on the "act as the animals do".

Not all animals mate whenever they want to as certain humans do. Many do just for reproductive reasons, many have "mating seasons" and there are even animals who will have only one partner during their entire lifetimes.

So I don't find that argument a real basis as a reason for humans to have sex at will, since mating is so vast and different as a whole amongst the animal kingdom.

Besides that animals don't have to be careful as humans do (for the humans that care at least) not to pass along diseases - animals just mate with instinct.

Most humans using their consciences have to use discretion as they know that it is wrong to mate with someone who is already married or in a relationship. Animals in most cases don't have that distinction - they certainly don't have the "right and wrong" disctinction, but will get away with what they can if the other mate lets them.

As for sex being as natural as apples and grapes, sure it is, but food is for survival, you don't have to mate or have sex daily to survive, for most anyway.

:)

[Christiana]

Hi, long time lurker here.

I find this thread interesting, interesting enough to post. I personally do believe from a spiritual standpoint that abstaining from sexual relations until married is the way to go.

But, seeing that we can't discuss spirituality, or religion as some might call it, here's a viewpoint based on the "act as the animals do".

Not all animals mate whenever they want to as certain humans do. Many do just for reproductive reasons, many have "mating seasons" and there are even animals who will have only one partner during their entire lifetimes.

So I don't find that argument a real basis as a reason for humans to have sex at will, since mating is so vast and different as a whole amongst the animal kingdom.

Besides that animals don't have to be careful as humans do (for the humans that care at least) not to pass along diseases - animals just mate with instinct.

Most humans using their consciences have to use discretion as they know that it is wrong to mate with someone who is already married or in a relationship. Animals in most cases don't have that distinction - they certainly don't have the "right and wrong" disctinction, but will get away with what they can if the other mate lets them.

As for sex being as natural as apples and grapes, sure it is, but food is for survival, you don't have to mate or have sex daily to survive, for most anyway.

:)

Agreed. Nice way to put it!

[Eva]

As for sex being as natural as apples and grapes, sure it is, but food is for survival, you don't have to mate or have sex daily to survive, for most anyway.

:)

I got a laugh out of this. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. :)

[Amberly]

I have sex and have no intention of ever being married. Ever. Partially in protest.

[rawstrength]

1. What are your beliefs on sex before marriage? Is it natural to have sex before marriage..or should humans wait
This is a personal choice and depends on your situation. Is marriage a sin? That question I can't answer here because this is not a religious forum. Again, it depends on your situation. For example, you ask about sex before marriage, but sex with whom (this is a rhetorical question)? A one night stand is very different from sex within a loving, long-term relationship.
Nothing in nature even gets married, so it is impossible to say whether sex before marriage is natural. Marriage isn't even natural. Just because something is natural, doesn't mean it's good for you. It just means it comes from nature. For example, many people consider cane sugar to be "natural" but it isn't good for humans.
I have had sex and I'm not married, and it has only been beneficial for me and my partner. But that was my situation, my choice, and I am not you.

2. What do raw foodists use for birth control? pills..condoms..vasectomy
Again, this is personal, and there are no set rules for what raw foodists can and can't do, but there are some health consequences for different types of birth control. Pills, for example, really mess with female hormones and are extremely unhealthy. Birth control pills are unnatural (whatever that means). They also can cause infertility long after you stop taking them. Vasectomy is a surgery, and any conventional medical procedures are often shunned by raw foodists. All surgeries carry the risk of anesthesia, etc. Also, vasectomy is usually irreversible, so it could be a problem if you someday want to have children.
Abstinence is not a form of contraception, nor is it a form of safe sex, because abstinence is not having sex at all. But it does prevent pregnancy and STDs 100%.
Barrier methods like condoms and diaphragms are your most natural and healthy options, BUT you have to be comitted to using them always and using them properly. Condoms also have the benefit of preventing the spread of STDS.
You can track when you are fertile/infertile, but you have to be very diligent about taking your temperature, examining mucus, etc. and it is best to be with only one partner, because it requires periods of abstinence.
The withdrawal method is the worst in terms of pregnancy prevention, and it also requires a lot of self control, which can ruin the pleasure of having sex. I don't recommend it to anyone, raw foodist or not. If you decide to use the withdrawal method, be sure to use a backup method (such as a condom, diaphragm, etc.)
Even with the best contraception/STD protection, sex with a partner(s) always has risks.
Masturbation is the only form of completely safe sex. It does no harm to your body from a biological standpoint, in fact, it may do you some good as a stress relief. Some religions do not allow masturbation, and some people are morally opposed to masturbation, but that's a topic for another board.

[coco]

the ovutrac that i mentioned works much better than traditional fertility tracking in that there are no variables like whether you are excited or hot or under the weather, it measures biosalts in your saliva which are consistant throughout. there is no tempurature taking or mucus checking, it's very, very simple and straightforward. spit on the slide, let it dry (under a minute) look through the microscope for absolutely unmistakeable and definitive results.

and i gotta say, despite being very fertile, in over 15 years of using the withdrawl method i never once got pregnant. i was with the same partners for long stretches though and they did all have excellent control. but i was not adverse to having children if i had gotten pregnant at any time.

about animal sexual behavior, our closest relatives are primates and that is the group to which i am referring. not cats or other animals with very different cycles and mating rituals. when considering protection from disease or pregnancy i don't beleive that subverting desire is the only course of action. i think we desire sexual relations for a reason, because it's natural and very health giving. the hormones and endorphins released during arousal and sex are exceeding good for the body. sure, you can mimic that effect in other ways but none are as effective. or as fun;).