Crohns & Contraception.

As this is a family website, I will keep the subject matter in non specific terms.

I have been asked about this on many occasions, and for my opinions on this. Some people when they have been diagnosed with Crohns, decide there and then, that they do not want to have children or anymore children, for risk of passing on the illness to their future children. Personally I would not let Crohns stop you having children, unless there is real medical or health reason to you, why you cannot. Some of the women that have contacted me, who are thinking of having children or are pregnant, have gone on to have healthy children, infact some at this time when they are pregnant, the Crohns goes into remission, they feel really well, this is because their immune systems are charging up for their baby.

We know that the infected mother cow can pass the MAP Bacteria via the umbilical cord to the unborn calf, thus giving the calf, Johnes Disease ( Crohns in humans ).

A very delicate subject that many of us have to deal with every day is contraception, because of the decision not to have any children or anymore children, and often for other health reasons. For women who are taking the Pill, who have Crohns, because of the cell disorders in the blood, a high blood pressure can evolve. Often being sick, means the Pill does not work, as it is thrown up, or if you have diarrhoea the Pill passes straight through you, as the food you eat. For many women and men with Crohns, sex is a difficult subject to talk about or be involved in. There are areas of the body affected by Crohns that make sex extremely painful. Often Crohns sufferers of either sex certainly do not have the interest or energy to be involved in these activities, which then causes extreme stresses in their relationship with their partner.

It takes a great deal of courage, love and determination to stay with a partner through all this. Many men run a mile, if their partner developes Crohns and all it's complications, leaving their partner to cope with bringing up the family, and just getting through every day with their horrendous illness, which in itself is soul destroying, and extremely painful and exhausting. It takes a great deal of understanding, determination to get through all this. Often the family is left to carry on, on one income, which if low in the first place, can cause even more stress and problems, as all the extra items needed for getting through life with Crohns can be so expensive.

Contraception is discussed finally, what are we going to do ? It is easier for a man to have a vasectomy, than for a woman to go through her sterilisation procedure. If it is the woman who has Crohns, it is yet another operation she then has to face whether to have, ontop of all her other problems she is having with her illness.

Condoms are discussed, but often are simply too painful sometimes to use for the woman with Crohns. Often the woman, may be because of her age, or other health problems has to stop taking her Pill, and so the responsibility falls on her man.

This is the point where I would like to draw your attention to another great website, If It Works Don't Fix It, the link is below, this is for both partners, who are deciding on her man having a vasectomy. I believe that there are as many dangers for the woman too, in having a sterilisation. I have found this site for now, Post Sterilisation Syndrome Support, link below, and this other sites main links page below this, but would welcome being pointed to another, to put it's link here as well. It is important that we all know the + & - of these operations, which are claimed by the medical profession to be safe, with no problems.

Please Look In " The Vasectomy Forums " On This Other Site.