Family Relationship

When people ask this question about Natural Family Planning (NFP), they usually mean: Does it really work like contraceptives; can we use it and not get pregnant? They want statistics showing how effective NFP is in preventing conception, and are often impatient when an NFP user explains that such results are not the whole story about NFP.

Another smaller but growing group of couples wants to know how NFP can help them to achieve pregnancy, since they have tried to conceive for a year or more of marriage with no success.

The beauty of NFP is that it can help both those who want to avoid conception and those who want nothing more than to conceive a child. That is because NFP works with the natural cycles and rhythms of a woman’s body, and not against them, as the various forms of contraception do. It allows man and woman, husband and wife, to be and to become who they are – and does not introduce foreign chemicals to the body or obtrusive obstacles to the relationship. NFP is truly natural because it lets humans be fully human and allows God to be God in a loving relationship.

But does NFP really work? It depends what you mean by “work.”

• If you mean encouraging communication between husband and wife about intimate matters, the answer is YES.

• If you mean a low divorce rate among NFP couples, the answer is YES.

• If you mean working with nature rather than against it, the answer is YES.

• If you mean a family planning method with no side effects, the answer is YES.

• Most importantly, if you want a method that does not risk an early abortion of a newly conceived embryo – a risk that the Pill carries – then NFP is definitely for you!

There is much to say about NFP (much more than can be covered here), but I am sure most readers are anxious to get the “real” issue:

Can we use NFP and not get pregnant?

The official stat used by the NFP community is that NFP has an effectiveness rate of “up to 99 percent.” Of course there are footnotes to this. The couple must learn the methods correctly, be highly motivated, and avoid sexual relations on the fertile days. If they do all that, and the wife has a regular cycle, then 99 percent is pretty accurate.

Here is what the U.S. bishops say on their website about NFP:

• When couples understand the methods and are motivated to follow them, NFP is up to 99% successful in spacing or limiting births. The effectiveness of NFP depends upon following the rules of the method according to their family planning intention (i.e., achieving or limiting pregnancy). Those who are strongly motivated to avoid pregnancy and follow the method-defined rules are very effective in meeting their goal.

Here are the stats the bishops cite from scientific surveys:

• Effectiveness of Natural Family Planning in Avoiding Pregnancy.
(Number of pregnancies among 100 couples in one year.)

Couples who carefully follow all the rules for avoiding pregnancy all the time : 1-3
Couples who do not follow all the rules for avoiding pregnancy : 2-15

So among those who followed the rules of the method carefully, there were 1 to 3 pregnancies among 100 couples in one year – a 97 – 99 percent success rate.

When the rules are not strictly followed, the rate drops to 85 – 98 percent.

These stats are backed up by secular sources. Here is what Family Doctor website states:

“NFP methods can help a couple avoid pregnancy if the couple receives training from a specialized instructor and if they carefully follow all of the instructions provided. (Ask your doctor how to find an instructor who is specially trained in teaching natural family planning.) Both NFP methods can be 90% to 98% effective (2 to 10 pregnancies per 100 couples) when they are practiced correctly. However, if a couple doesn't follow the instructions completely, these methods will be much less effective. In practice, these methods may not be as reliable as other forms of birth control.”

So the answer to the question of the month is yes. You can rely on NFP to postpone pregnancy, even indefinitely, if you use it correctly.

The extra benefit is that there are no side effects, it will help your marriage and you will be following the natural law and the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church regarding responsible parenthood.

A win-win-win situation.

NFP Contacts

The U.S. Bishops provide resources and support to diocesan and parish NFP programs. To find an NFP program near you, contact:

Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning
National Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th St., N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20017
202-541-3240/3070
Website:

Here are the major organizations in the United States that promote NFP and train teachers:

Billings Ovulation Method
Mucus only Method
PO Box 2135
St. Cloud, MN 56302
Phone – 651-699-8139
Website: www.boma-usa.org

Couple to Couple League
Sympto-Thermal Method
PO Box 111184
Cincinnati, OH
Phone - (513) 471-2000
Website:www.ccli.org

Creighton Model Fertility Care System
Mucus only Medical Model
6901 Mercy Road
Omaha, NE 68106
Phone - (402) 390-6600
Website: www.popepaulvi.com

Marquette University Institute for NFP
Sympto-Thermal Method
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI
(414) 288-3854
Website:

Response to Comments

Since there have been a number of comments asking for guidance or advice, Fathers for Good solicited a response from Therese Notare, who heads the Diocesan NFP Program for the U.S. Bishops.