The 50th anniversary of the birth control pill (May 9) prompted some public reflection about its effect on our culture. The most surprising reflection I came across was from none other than Raquel Welch, the famous actress, model, and in her words, "aging sex symbol."
In her column for CNN.com, Welch begins by referencing the opening of the first American family-planning clinic in 1916 by Margaret Sanger concluding that nothing would be the same again. "Since then the growing proliferation of birth control methods has had an awesome effect on both sexes and led to a sea of change in moral values."
"And as I've grown older over the past five decades," Welch continues, "and lived through this revolutionary period in female sexuality, I've seen how it has altered American society - for better or worse." The only "upside" Welch says is that The Pill "made it easier for a woman to choose to delay having children until after she established herself in a career."
"Nonetheless," she says, "for young women of childbearing age ... there was a need for some careful soul searching - and consideration about the long-range effects of oral contraceptives - before addressing this very personal decision. It was a decision I too would have to face when I discovered I was pregnant at age 19," Welch said.
Welch recounts that although she was married, she wasn't ready to be pregnant and was concerned about putting her career ambitions on hold. Fortunately, her husband (Jim Welch) was "unflinching in his desire to keep our baby and his positive, upbeat attitude about the whole prospect turned everything around." She said that she has "always loved Jim for how he responded in that moment."
In a very candid statement, Welch says that during her pregnancy she "came to realize that this process was not about me. I was just a spectator to the metamorphosis that was happening inside my womb so that another life could be born. It came down to an act of self-sacrifice, especially for me, as a woman."
In another very candid statement, Welch admits that a "significant, and enduring, effect of The Pill on female sexual attitudes during the 1960s was a casual approach to sex without the consequences.
"It remains this way," she said.
That attitude, she said, also affects how people see and honor commitment, raising the question: "Is marriage still a viable option?"
Admitting to being ashamed at having been married four times, Welch says she still believes marriage is "the cornerstone of civilization, an essential institution that stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children and saves us from anarchy."
"In stark contrast," Welch points out, "a lack of sexual inhibitions, or as some call it, 'sexual freedom,' has taken the caution and discernment out of choosing a sexual partner, which used to be the equivalent of choosing a life partner.
Without a commitment, the trust and loyalty between couples of childbearing age is missing, and obviously leads to infidelity. No one seems immune," Welch said.
Welch concludes her column by writing: "Seriously folks, if an aging sex symbol like me starts waving the red flag of caution over how low moral standards have plummeted, you know it's gotta be pretty bad. It's precisely because of the sexy image I've had that it's important for me to speak up and say: Come on girls! Time to pull up our socks! We're capable of so much better."
Welch's personal reflections and candor about the negative impacts of The Pill and the "sexual freedom" it facilitated is rather surprising and refreshing. Equally impressive is her admitting a sense of responsibility to speak up and urge society to strive toward higher moral standards.
One of the most powerful dynamics that stifles an honest assessment of contraception's negative impact on our society is that most Americans have "bought" into the contraceptive culture. Hence, acknowledging its negative ramifications, as Welch did, requires some self-incrimination.
Welch deserves a lot of credit for speaking out so honestly on a very controversial subject. We can hope her leadership will prompt more people to honestly reflect on and speak out about the negative consequences of contraception.
"We're capable of so much better," Welch reminds us.
Greg Schleppenbach is state director of the Bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro-life Activities.
