Birth control pill inventor laments demographic ‘catastrophe’

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Comments: 21

Mr. Carl Djerassi

Vienna, Austria, Jan 11, 2009 / 02:10 am (CNA).- The chemist who made a key discovery leading to the invention of the birth control pill has written a commentary calling demographic decline in Europe a “horror scenario” and a “catastrophe” brought on in part by the pill’s invention.

Mr. Carl Djerassi, now 85 years old, was one of three researchers whose formulation of the synthetic progestagen Norethisterone marked a key step in the creation of the first oral contraceptive pill, the Guardian reports.

In a personal commentary in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, Djerassi said his invention is partly to blame for demographic imbalance in Europe. On the continent, he argued, there is now “no connection at all between sexuality and reproduction.”

“This divide in Catholic Austria, a country which has on average 1.4 children per family, is now complete,” he wrote.

Djerassi described families who had decided against reproduction as “wanting to enjoy their schnitzels while leaving the rest of the world to get on with it.”

The fall in the birth rate, he claimed, was an “epidemic” far worse but less highlighted than obesity. In his view, young Austrians who fail to procreate are committing national suicide.

If it is not possible to reverse the demographic decline, an “intelligent immigration policy” will be necessary, Djerassi said.

According to the Guardian, Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schonborn told Austrian TV that Pope Paul VI had predicted the pill would cause a dramatic fall in the birth rate.

“Somebody above suspicion like Carl Djerassi ... is saying that each family has to produce three children to maintain population levels, but we’re far away from that,” the cardinal said.

Comments: 21

Subscriber comments:

Published by: anna
los angeles 10/25/2009 03:13 PM EST

These were new when I was young and they seemed pushed on us. They made me sick and people weren't told how you would feel if you took them. I tried it but quickly went off. They didn't tell you about side effects, just like they didn't with abortion and the other methods used. I am studying to become Catholic because that would have helped people. Many families and young people were very, very naive about how these things can be part of an agenda. Very scary. They ruined many young girls and their chances at a nice, bigger life.

Published by: linda
England 02/04/2009 08:56 AM EST

What an accusation by Lois! The First World must take responsibility for its own destruction by ignoring the advice of the Catholic Church, the origianal foundation of the West, and legalising abortion and contraception. They now can't manage the basic task of reproduction and so must rely on importing other women's children from the 3rd world. It is certainly not THEIR fault that the West is going down.

3rd World Catholic nations with large populations have great potential. Just see

Published by: Lois
California/USA 01/29/2009 04:40 PM EST

Rate: Bad

Many, many years ago, I heard a woman over TV, say the people that should have been breeding, weren’t, meaning the European white peoples.

No offense to Catholics, but it seems those impoverished third world countries are run by the Catholic Church, what does this tell you? My feeling is, that the Catholic church wanted masses of people to keep their coffers filled.

The Biblical verse of replenishing the earth, multiplying, didn't mean you multiply irresponsibly.

Now the third world impoverished countries are wanting to steal the wealth of the European white Christian nations, because of their undisciplined behavior and breeding.

Published by: John
U.S.A. 01/21/2009 07:56 PM EST

A couple of comments...

Sarah - You argued that there is a social phenomenon affecting married women with children in the U.S., where at age 40 their dishonorable husbands dump them en mass for new models with lower miles. Could you please explain the contrast between your argument and the fact that the available data shows that in the U.S., women initiate 70% of the filings for divorce. Something seems amiss with your claims versus the court filings of record.

On the broader topic I posit the following argument. The Malthusian mess the world has experienced regarding population growth has been an explosion of growth in the "Third-World", not in the "First". This was characteristic of those regions both before and after the arrival of synthetic birth control entered into the population equation.

The overwhelming majority of the world's population growth has been in those regions that are not concerned with God's commandment to "Be fruitful and multiply". They are not "Christian", but seem to have that dictum figured out quite well even without a heavenly mandate.

It is in the "West" where women, mainly caucasian, have decided that they will not reproduce even at replacement rates (2.1 offspring per female).

The pill, abortion, and "career" are causal of this fact. These choices are condemning the least populous group on earth, Christians, to be genetically subsumed by other races and beliefs, even in their own lands. The Professor is right to be concerned.

Published by: Vic
Fallbrook, ca ,USA 01/16/2009 10:13 AM EST

Mark Styein's book America Alone, points out at the demise of the Europeans and their replacement with Muslims..within 50 years, Europe will be Muslim....thanks to the pill in part...reason? not enough babies by couples who have lost their moral compass, including religion...

Published by: linda
England 01/16/2009 01:57 AM EST

Sometimes, we are told tales about overpopulation of the earth as though we are meant to stay on this one planet forever. This is nonsense and limits our potential.

Prof Monica Grady, a leading scientist, predicts that the first baby will be born on another planet within 50 years. Population growth fuels the need for scientific development - and funds it! So don't fear so-called overpopulation of the planet.

Published by: Julie
Washington, DC 01/14/2009 07:12 PM EST

To Mark Somerville of Napa, CA. Your comment is gravely ignorant. You are clearly not aware that birth control is currently one of the greatest pollutants of our environment. A pollutant that has gotten into our water system making fish and other animals infertile as well as men. Thus, it will not save the food supply. This just goes to prove the saying, "God always forgives, Man sometimes forgives, and Nature never forgives". I think that you "environmentalists" need to really be honest with yourselves and realize that man is part (and a good part) of the whole natural system. Let us use our intellects to find loving ways to save the world rather than selfish eugenic ways.

Published by: Albert
Seattle 01/14/2009 01:11 AM EST

"On the upside, slowing population growth might allow the planet to continue to support human life. "

Gosh! Grow Up. Go read the history of the planet earth to find out how it has produced enough for everyone's need. And will continue to do so.

Height of foolish optimism i call it. Or notoriously ignorant!

Published by: imominous
los angeles california usa 01/13/2009 09:04 PM EST

Yeah, let's just keep breeding until every square meter of God's garden is occupied by ranting, squabbling, screeching, starving humanity.

Excellent idea. We don't need all that wildlife messing up the place anyway.

Published by: todd
monterrey 01/13/2009 09:00 PM EST

Look at statistics.The wealthiest nations have the lowest birthrates. There is a direct relationship between having lots of kids and living in poverty.( All over the world not just in Africa). More and better food, better education, better medical facilities are all part of not having a gazzilion mouths to feed. I want anyone who says different to take their ideas and go live in any of the countries where the average number of children per family is over 5. Good luck with the open sewer in the front yard. With the baby boomers,if we don't replace the number of elderly with young people, there will be a crisis. But the crisis will pass in less than 20 years when all the boomers have died. Having 2 kids per family will maintain the population. The pill saved women from bein gtreated like baby factories. The Bible told us to go multiply when the Earth was nearly devoid of humans. Now a few thousand years later we are using up the planet's resources at a ridiculous rate. I sincerly doubt that that was God's great plan. But He's going to come down and save us before we all die, right? Or only those that "deserve" to be saved.

Published by: Joshua Vizanko
Milwuake WI - USA 01/13/2009 07:02 PM EST

//We are not ordained to mess with God's will which is to be fruitful and multiply //

So god would rather have us breed as many people as possible, until we have surpassed global sustainability many children are doomed to starve to death? One sentence from an ancient book does not trump two seconds of logic. Either we reach population equilibrium the hard way or we take easy and safe steps to controlling the already ludicrously huge number of people in existence.

Published by: Gorgasal
Switzerland 01/13/2009 04:21 PM EST

I just read the original commentary ...Djerassi nowhere expresses regret or remorse about the pill, in fact, he doesn't mention the pill at all. Please don't take this article to imply that he has changed his view on birth control - he (apparently) hasn't.

Published by: Daniel
Austin, Texas USA 01/13/2009 01:20 PM EST

I am convinced that not everybody who posted comments on this article are Catholic. Sterilization is the ultimate form of contraception, and nobody is justified to alter their bodies for whatever reason. The divorce rate increased exponetially with the advent of the "pill". If Viagra had posed the same health risks for men as the pill does for women, it owuld have never been made availible. We are not ordained to mess with God's will which is to be fruitful and multiply

Published by: Jason Walsh
Boston, MA, USA 01/13/2009 11:59 AM EST

Rate: Regular

these are the worst collection of 4 posts i have ever seen. using the bible to control your life is like a doctor using a 2000 year old medical text to treat your bacterial infection with bloodletting. you catholic rubes need to get with the times

Published by: Mark Somerville
Napa/Ca/USA 01/12/2009 11:43 PM EST

Rate: Good

On the upside, slowing population growth might allow the planet to continue to support human life.
The sky in my area might stop it's slow transition to yellow, it's even possible that mercury levels in the ocean could drop, and populations of adult, edible fish return to sustainable levels, making it safe to eat seafood once more.
I know that I've done my part (vasectomy for the win!).

Published by: Mike S
Minneapolis 01/12/2009 10:45 PM EST

As the 'ole saying goes..Hindsight is always 20/20. One mans reflection on his contribution to the demise of the white race..Not bad for a Austrian:=)

Published by: Clare
Eagle River, AK USA 01/12/2009 10:01 PM EST

There is a fantastic documentary available through Ignatious Press that defines all the reasons for our declining western birthrate...Demographic Wnter...See it, you will not be dissapointed. What is happening to our culture reminds me of what Tolkein described in his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Published by: anonymous
OREGON, USA 01/12/2009 05:43 AM EST

I heard Dr Djerassi speak about his scientific work years ago & he didn't sound so bitter about people who used hormonal treatments for a variety of medical conditions then.
Is his personality turning nasty in his old age???

Published by: Sarah
Canada 01/11/2009 11:21 PM EST

Rate: Good

Actually, use of birth control alone is not responsible for the decline in birth rates. Instead, I think you will find it is liberal divorce laws. A married woman can no longer fully depend upon her marriage to stay intact and there is much pressure placed upon her by society and her husband to return to work as soon as possible after childbirth so that she can make money for the marriage. And then when she turns 40, she is discarded by her husband for a younger model and she then has to fight for spousal (seldom given nowadays) and child support. And if she is extremely lucky, she will be "allowed" to continue to raise her own child (rather than the new step mother doing it) and her former husband "may" continue to support their children with money and emotional support. No wonder under such conditions so many women today have few or no children!

Published by: Phil
Riverside/ CA/ USA 01/11/2009 06:57 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

As to be expected it looks like Holy Mother Church under the guidance of Pope Paul VI and previous popes had been right on the outlook and dire consequences of birth control all long.
If Christ is your personal 'Lord and Savior' over every aspect of your life, that also means taking him into the marriage bed (no excuses!!)...Catholics and all other Christians should not be contracepting life but welcoming it with as many children as God wills for their marriage.

Published by: linda
UK 01/11/2009 01:41 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

Well done Mr Djerassi for admitting this. It is so true. And young people are beginning to worry about the consequences of falling birthrates, especially the increased Islamic immigration to fill the population gap, but they fail to lay the blame on the pill and legalised abortion.

The West desperately needs to return to Catholicism if she is to survive. Are there any monks who could set about this task? We cannot leave it in the hands of politicians, who only prescribe more of the same!

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