NFP From a Non-Believer’s Point of View
© Kathleen Newton
When I think of Natural Family Planning, I think of all the people I know who've become pregnant while using the NFP method for birth control. When I recently mentioned to my sister that I was entertaining the notion of NFP as an alternative to chemical birth control (and its side effects) she said "NO! NO! You'll be pregnant in a week!" There is certainly a stereotype associated with the NFP method-one that says, "if you use this method, you will almost certainly become pregnant". Is this true? Well, I'm not sure. I read somewhere that the chance of getting pregnant when using NFP for birth control is relatively high, but the odds are greatly decreased when the method is used correctly. However, this seems to be a problem among users of NFP-it's not used correctly, or other factors contribute to the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of the method. From a relatively uninformed standpoint, I can see both pros and cons to the NFP method:
PROS OF NFP:
*You don't have to try to remember to take a pill every day.
*You don't have to worry about side effects from chemical birth control (big issue for me).
*No hassle trying to insert a diaphragm (I've never used one, but heard it can sometimes be difficult).
*No messy spermicidal foams or creams.
*No condoms to worry about buying and using.
*NFP can be used not only to prevent pregnancy, but also to encourage it, if that's what you want.
Of course, the above pros dealing with condoms and spermicides assumes a monogamous relationship. Those not in a monogamous relationship should always use some sort of barrier protection, not only to protect against unwanted pregnancy, but to protect against STD's.
CONS OF NFP:
*If you don't do it right, you run a much higher risk of getting pregnant.
*It requires more work than just popping a pill or getting a shot every three months.
*For those uncomfortable with their bodies, checking the cervix and mucus could be very difficult.
These pros and cons are off the top of my head. My intention is not to write a technical article on NFP (I'll leave that the Kristin!), but rather give a personal view on a subject to which I've lately had to devote a great deal of thought.
As a former (as of last Thursday) user of Depo-Provera, the injectable BC that lasts for three months, and a user of various BC pills over the last fourteen years, I am very ready to be done with chemical birth control. I know a lot of women really love Depo, and love the pill, but recent (and current) side effects from the Depo have given me a pause for thought. Do I want to continue these alarming side effects, or switch to a method that has little or no chance of side effects? The answer is clear: SWITCH! Since I'm in a committed, monogamous marriage, the use of condoms and/or other barrier methods isn't critical to my health and safety, so those methods aren't my first, second, or third choices! ANY form of chemical birth control is out for me, since I lately haven't had very good luck with these methods. What does that leave? NFP or abstinence. My husband (being the Navy sailor that he is) is often out to sea, sometimes for quite long periods of time, so we suffer forced abstinence on a regular basis. Another good argument for NFP as opposed to chemical BC: why take a pill every day for a year when my husband will be gone six months out of that year?
PROS OF NFP:
*You don't have to try to remember to take a pill every day.
*You don't have to worry about side effects from chemical birth control (big issue for me).
*No hassle trying to insert a diaphragm (I've never used one, but heard it can sometimes be difficult).
*No messy spermicidal foams or creams.
*No condoms to worry about buying and using.
*NFP can be used not only to prevent pregnancy, but also to encourage it, if that's what you want.
Of course, the above pros dealing with condoms and spermicides assumes a monogamous relationship. Those not in a monogamous relationship should always use some sort of barrier protection, not only to protect against unwanted pregnancy, but to protect against STD's.
CONS OF NFP:
*If you don't do it right, you run a much higher risk of getting pregnant.
*It requires more work than just popping a pill or getting a shot every three months.
*For those uncomfortable with their bodies, checking the cervix and mucus could be very difficult.
These pros and cons are off the top of my head. My intention is not to write a technical article on NFP (I'll leave that the Kristin!), but rather give a personal view on a subject to which I've lately had to devote a great deal of thought.
As a former (as of last Thursday) user of Depo-Provera, the injectable BC that lasts for three months, and a user of various BC pills over the last fourteen years, I am very ready to be done with chemical birth control. I know a lot of women really love Depo, and love the pill, but recent (and current) side effects from the Depo have given me a pause for thought. Do I want to continue these alarming side effects, or switch to a method that has little or no chance of side effects? The answer is clear: SWITCH! Since I'm in a committed, monogamous marriage, the use of condoms and/or other barrier methods isn't critical to my health and safety, so those methods aren't my first, second, or third choices! ANY form of chemical birth control is out for me, since I lately haven't had very good luck with these methods. What does that leave? NFP or abstinence. My husband (being the Navy sailor that he is) is often out to sea, sometimes for quite long periods of time, so we suffer forced abstinence on a regular basis. Another good argument for NFP as opposed to chemical BC: why take a pill every day for a year when my husband will be gone six months out of that year?
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