Natural family planning

This article is about methods of family planning approved by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations. For a more general use of the term, see fertility awareness.
"The Rhythm Method" redirects here. For the song "The Rhythm Method (Move!)" by Flobots, see Fight with Tools.
Natural family planning
Background
TypeBehavioral
First use
Failure rates (
  • First six months: LAM
  • Per year: symptoms- and calendar-based
)
Perfect use
  • LAM: 0.5%
  • Symptoms based: 1–3%
  • Calendar based: 5–9%
%
Typical use
  • LAM: 2%
  • Symptoms based: 2–25%
  • Calendar based: 25%
%
Usage
ReversibilityYes
User remindersDependent upon strict user adherence to method
Clinic reviewNone
Advantages and disadvantages
STI protectionNo
Period advantagesPrediction
BenefitsPersonal self-awareness, no side effects, can aid pregnancy achievement, in accord with Catholic teachings, no blocks that affect intercourse

Natural family planning (NFP) comprises the family planning methods approved by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations for both achieving and postponing or avoiding pregnancy.[1][2] In accordance with the Church's teachings regarding sexual behavior, NFP excludes the use of other methods of birth control, which it refers to as "artificial contraception".

Periodic abstinence, the crux of NFP, is deemed moral by the Church for avoiding or postponing pregnancy for just reasons.[3] When used to avoid pregnancy, couples may engage in sexual intercourse during a woman's naturally occurring infertile times such as during portions of her ovulatory cycle. Various methods may be used to identify whether a woman is likely to be fertile; this information may be used in attempts to either avoid or achieve pregnancy.

Effectiveness can vary widely, depending on the method used, whether the users were trained properly, and how carefully the couple followed the protocol. Pregnancy can result in up to 25% of the user population per year for users of the symptoms-based or calendar-based methods, depending on the method used and how carefully it was practised.

Natural family planning has shown very weak and contradictory results in pre-selecting the sex of a child, with the exception of a Nigerian study at odds with all other findings. Because of these remarkable results, an independent study needs to be repeated in other populations.[4][5]

  1. ^ O'Reilly, Andrea (6 April 2010). Encyclopedia of Motherhood. SAGE Publications. p. 1056. ISBN 9781452266299. The Roman Catholic church and some Protestant denominations have approved only "natural family planning" methods—including the rhythm method and periodic abstinence.
  2. ^ Green, Joel B. (1 November 2011). Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics. Baker Books. p. 303. ISBN 9781441239983. In 1968, Paul VI reiterated the traditional Catholic prohibition against all but "natural family planning" (abstinence during fertile periods), which many Catholics and some Protestants continue to practice.
  3. ^ "In deciding whether or not to have a child, [spouses] must not be motivated by selfishness or carelessness, but by a prudent, conscious generosity that weighs the possibilities and circumstances, and especially gives priority to the welfare of the unborn child. Therefore, when there is a reason not to procreate, this choice is permissible and may even be necessary. However, there remains the duty of carrying it out with criteria and methods that respect the total truth of the marital act in its unitive and procreative dimension, as wisely regulated by nature itself in its biological rhythms. One can comply with them and use them to advantage, but they cannot be 'violated' by artificial interference." Source: Pope John Paul II, Castel Gandolfo, 1994
  4. ^ McSweeney, L (March 2011). "Successful sex pre-selection using natural family planning". African Journal of Reproductive Health. 15 (1): 79–84. PMID 21987941.
  5. ^ NFPS-842 Fertility File 19 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Fertilityuk.org. Retrieved on 2015-09-27.