(also known as Fertility Awareness)
¾ Say a prayer before the lesson.
Among Catholics, Muslims, and some Evangelical Christian groups Natural Family Planning methods (NFP) remain the only morally acceptable methods for reducing the likelihood of pregnancy for married couples. NFP is considered moral because here natural methods excel in supporting relationships in the same critical ways that artificial methods fail. NFP methods are in harmony with a positive, nurturing, holistic* approach to sexuality.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read:
Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality. These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, foster tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast,
“every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural
*looking at a person as a whole: body, mind and soul
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consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible” is intrinsically evil:
Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality . . . the difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality. (paragraph 2370) Modern natural methods are as effective at preventing pregnancy as standard artificial methods of contraception. By far, the main factor that affects how well methods of NFP work is motivation. Among those who use it, couples who are motivated are far less likely to get pregnant then couples who are not motivated.
NFP gives a couple a greater awareness of the woman’s natural, bodily rhythms and allows the couple to use this knowledge to become pregnant or to avoid pregnancy. These methods can be used to identify the period of time each month when the woman is fertile (able to get pregnant) and when she is infertile (when she can’t get pregnant—usually about two and a half weeks per month). If a couple wishes to avoid pregnancy, they should have sex only during infertile periods.
Three Types of NFP:
1) Rhythm method: This is the original method of natural birth control, developed in the 1930s. It is based on calculating the day the woman is most fertile. The couple then avoids intercourse during the week that spans that day. It is no longer taught because it depended on a woman’s period being regular, which is not always the case. For some reason, people who ridicule NFP almost always refer to the Rhythm method.
They are apparently unaware of the modern methods.
2) Ovulation, Billings, or Cervical Mucus Method: In this method, developed in the 1960s, the woman watches for certain signs that tell her she is ovulating or fertile. The main sign is the type of cervical mucus she has. This mucus has different qualities at different times of the month. Each time a woman uses the restroom, she collects a sample of mucus on a piece of tissue and looks for certain qualities. With training, she can distinguish between fertile and infertile periods.
3) Symptothermal Method: This method is similar to the Ovula-tion Method except that addiOvula-tional signs are used to help figure out the period of fertility. The main extra sign is the woman’s body temperature, which is taken and recorded daily the first thing in the morning. Usually, a woman’s temperature will rise about a half a degree around the day she ovulates.
The last two of these methods have been successfully used for decades in a variety of cultures, including the uneducated poor in developing countries.
Then Along Came On Human Life (Humanae Vitae)
On Human Life (Humanae Vitae) was a prophetic encyclical written by Pope Paul VI in 1968. It reinforced the Church’s age-old stance against the use of artificial contraceptives at a time when many thought the Church would change its position. It has become the most controversial Catholic Church document of modern times. The following are some rather long but beautiful quotes from this marvelous work. Some students may find them difficult to understand. If you do, just try to get the general message: it’s worth the effort. The numbers refer to the part of the encyclical quoted.
10. With regard to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised by those who prudently and generously decide to have more children, and by those who, for serious reasons and with due respect to moral precepts, decide not to have additional children for either a certain or an indefinite period of time.
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11. The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one another, through which human life is transmitted, is, as the recent Council recalled, “noble and worthy.” It does not, moreover, cease to be legitimate even when, for reasons independent of their will, it is foreseen to be infertile.
For its natural adaptation to the expression and strengthening of the union of husband and wife is not thereby suppressed. The fact is, as experience shows, that new life is not the result of each and every act of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws. The Church, nevertheless, in urging men to the observance of the precepts of the natural law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life.
14. Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. As well to be condemned, as the Magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means. Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity, and so be qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these. Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it—in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature
contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse, which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsic-cally wrong.
16. Now as we noted earlier, some people today raise the objection against this particular doctrine of the Church concerning the moral laws governing marriage, that human intelligence has both the right and responsibility to control those forces of irrational nature which come within its ambit and to direct them toward ends beneficial to man. Others ask on the same point whether it is not reasonable in so many cases to use artificial birth control if by so doing the harmony and peace of a family are better served and more suitable conditions are provided for the education of children already born. To this question we must give a clear reply. The Church is the first to praise and commend the application of human intelligence to an activity in which a rational creature such as man is so closely associated with his Creator. But she affirms that this must be done within the limits of the order of reality established by God. If therefore there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external circumstances, the Church teaches that married people may then take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile, thus controlling birth in a way which does not in the least offend the moral principles which we have just explained. Neither the Church nor her doctrine is inconsistent when she considers it lawful for married people to take advantage of the infertile period but condemns as always unlawful the use of means which directly prevent conception, even when the reasons given for the later practice may appear to be upright and serious.
In reality, these two cases are completely different. In the former the married couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature.
In the latter they obstruct the natural development of the
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generative process. It cannot be denied that in each case the married couple, for acceptable reasons, are both perfectly clear in their intention to avoid children and wish to make sure that none will result. But it is equally true that it is exclusively in the former case that husband and wife are ready to abstain from intercourse during the fertile period as often as for reasonable motives the birth of another child is not desirable. And when the infertile period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express their mutual love and safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this they certainly give proof of a true and authentic love.
17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.
21. The right and lawful ordering of birth demands, first of all, that spouses fully recognize and value the true blessings of family life and that they acquire complete mastery over themselves and their emotions. For if with the aid of reason and of free will they are to control their natural drives, there can be no doubt at all of the need for self-denial. Only then will the expression of love, essential to married life, conform to right order. This is especially clear in the practice of periodic continence. Self-discipline of this kind is a shining witness to the chastity of husband and wife and, far from being a hindrance to their love of one another, transforms
it by giving it a more truly human character. And if this self-discipline does demand that they persevere in their purpose and efforts, it has at the same time the salutary effect of enabling husband and wife to develop to their personalities and to be enriched with spiritual blessings. For it brings to family life abundant fruits of tranquility and peace. It helps in solving difficulties of other kinds. It fosters in husband and wife thoughtfulness and loving consideration for one another. It helps them to repel inordinate self-love, which is the opposite of charity. It arouses in them a consciousness of their response-bilities. And finally, it confers upon parents a deeper and more effective influence in the education of their children. As their children grow up, they develop a right sense of values and achieve a serene and harmonious use of their mental and physical powers.
As should be obvious from these quotes, the main reason that this short encyclical is so controversial is that most of the people who reject its teaching have never read it.
World Opinion
Prior to 1930, the world was in general agreement about the use of contraceptives.
• 1931 Washington Post editorial: “The suggestion that the use of legalized contraceptives would be ‘careful and restrained’
is preposterous.”
• Mahatma Gandhi (a world famous religious and political leader of India): “I urge the advocates of artificial methods of birth control to consider the consequences. Any large use of the methods is likely to result in the dissolution of the marriage bond.”
• Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis): “the separa-tion of procreasepara-tion and sexual activity (as occurs with contraceptives) is the most basic of perversions and the foundation of all others.”
Unfortunately, today many more people use contraceptives than
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NFP. Most have not given much thought as to why. Most make this choice based on what others do, or what a physician recommends rather than on thoughtful consideration.
But What About Love?
People who give the issue thoughtful consideration are likely to strike upon some obvious conclusions. NFP helps couples to have a balanced approach to sexuality without overemphasizing it. NFP reliably emphasizes the priority of love, including the five aspects we have previously discussed:
Respect:
With NFP a spouse is not considered a sex object to fulfill a need. A couple may feel needful but, when they learn that they are fertile on a particular night, they caress but stop short of genital intercourse. In such circumstances, NFP teaches couples that every sexual encounter is meant primarily to bring them closer together, not to fulfill a sexual need. By teaching sexual restraint the couple is more able to respect each other’s desires and well-being.
Responsibility:
NFP leaves little doubt for where the responsibility lies for the consequences of sexual activity. With NFP there is no pill or gadget to blame should a “blessed event” (pregnancy) occur. With contraception one may hear: “It’s The Pill’s fault. I took it every day.” With NFP the responsibility for pregnancy lies clearly with the couple. One doesn’t perform an act with the hope of no ill effects. Rather, the act is replaced by other kinds of behavior, in order to eliminate the possibility of such consequences.
Discipline:
NFP teaches self-discipline, and is therefore liberating. With it, people learn to control their sexual desires, instead of being controlled by them.
Commitment:
NFP couples are more aware of the possibility of pregnancy, and therefore of the kind of commitment required to engage in sex. Such methods are clearly not appropriate for unmarried couples, but only for those willing to truly stand by their behavior—willing to welcome a child into this life, to educate that child and to be emotionally available to that child every day of their lives. That’s commitment!
Trust:
As a result of all of the above, NFP engenders trust between spouses.
Can people love each other if they use contraceptives or are sterilized?
This is where things get a bit complicated. Many married couples who use contraceptives love each other very much. Such couples may love each other more than some couples who do not use artificial methods. In other words, a couple using NFP may begin their relationship far from the heart of Christ and, though NFP helps, it may not bring them as close to Christ as a couple who started off very close to Christ and were drawn away from Him by the use of contraceptives. There are any number of scenarios possible when one starts comparing couples, but that is not the issue. The issue is what the expected effect of each method is on the attitudes of individual couples who use them. Those who use artificial contraceptives must strive against the harmful effect of the method on their attitudes. The question is: How much better could their relationship be, and how much closer to Christ could they be, if not for this damaging influence?
Each one of us is on a path toward bettering ourselves, a path of personal growth and maturity, with regard to our sexuality as well as to all important aspects of our lives. One can always have better, holier attitudes than one currently has. The point is that there is a difference between artificial and natural methods of family planning with respect to how each method is likely to affect attitudes. This is much like the fact that the kinds of friends one chooses or the kinds of entertainment one watches can affect one’s attitudes. Artificial
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methods, by their nature, tend to affect couples for the negative and natural methods, by their nature, tend to affect couples for the positive.
Falsehoods about NFP
Many people have never heard of NFP, and when these methods are mentioned the methods are often criticized by ignorant people who state falsehoods about them. Some of these falsehoods are that NFP can only be used by people in certain religions and that NFP causes sexual problems and birth defects. Let us briefly comment on these falsehoods.
– The use of NFP is not restricted to certain religions. Any married couple who wishes to have a healthy, loving, God-centered relationship can use it.
– There is no evidence that NFP causes any sexual problems. In fact, abstaining from sex as required by NFP is used to treat
– There is no evidence that NFP causes any sexual problems. In fact, abstaining from sex as required by NFP is used to treat